M市老人クラブ員のEND OF LIFEに関する意識調査  [in Japanese] A Survey of Consciousness Towards "End of Life" for Senior Citizens' Club Members in M City  [in Japanese]

これまで日本では高齢者に終末期や死のことをたずねることはタブーとすろ風潮があった.将来の高齢社会では,高齢者の死が圧倒的に多くなる.I県の県庁所在地であるM市老人クラブ員に,延命医療,終末期,死に関する意識調査を実施した.市内の全クラブ (232クラブ) に2名ずつ依頼し,333名 (男性64.6%,女性35.4%,回収率71.6%)から回答を得た.男性は女性と比較すると家族と同居していろ人が多く,死について考え,話し合う人が少なく,最後は自宅で迎えたいと考えろ人が多い.また回答者の現在の健康状態が終末期の意識の多くの要因に関連していることが判明した.病名の告知は95%が望んでいろが,余命の告知は58%であった,延命医療は望まない人が60%,望む人は40%であった.死に対して不安をもち,考え,話し合うのは,女性と健康状態の良くない人に多く,病名・余命の告知を望んでいる.最後を自宅で迎えたいと望む人は,70%で,女性と一人暮らしの人は自宅を望む人が少ない.

Up until now in Japan, broaching the topic of death for the elderly in their last phase of life has tended to be taboo. From now on though, in our ageing society, the number of deaths of the aged will grow. A survey of members of a senior citizens' club in M City the capital of I. Prefecture, was conducted on life-prolonging medical treatment, this end-of-life period and death. Two members from each of the 232 clubs in M City were asked to fill out the questionnaire, and 333 members responded (64.6% men, 35.4% women; 71.6% of those surveyed). The results showed that, compared to women, men were more likely to be living with their families, were less likely to have someone to talk about death with, and were more likely to be considering spending their last days at home. It was revealed that respondents' present state of health was a common contributing factor to becoming conscious of the end-of-life period. 95% of respondents replied that they would prefer to be notified of a sickness, but only 58% preferred to know how long they had left to live. 60% preferred not to receive life-prolonging medical treatment and 40% responded that they did. Respondents who were apprehensive about death and talked with someone were more likely to be female, of poor health and preferred to be notified of any sicknesses and the time they had left. Respondents who preferred to see out their lives at home numbered 70%, but out of the women and those who lived alone, few wanted to spend their last days in their own home.