Life-Sustaining Treatment: A Comparison of the Preferences of Taiwanese Older Adults and Their Family Caregiver

Background: Written advance directives are not common practice in Taiwan; thus, when older adults are critically ill, family members are usually the ones to make decisions regarding life-sustaining treatment. Purpose: This study determined how well the preferences of the family members for the older adults match the preferences of the older adults themselves with regard to life-sustaining treatment. Methods: A cross-sectional comparative descriptive research design was used in this study. Ninety-five pairs of older adults and their families were included in the final analysis. The Life Support Preferences Questionnaire was used to measure life-sustaining preferences. Paired-sample t tests were performed to compare the mean differences between the older adults' preferences and the family members' preferences for these older adults. Results: Family members scored higher on life-sustaining treatment preferences than the older adults for all 32 examined items, with 23 (72%) of these items showing statistical significance. Conclusion/Implications for Practice: Communication between older adults and their family members regarding life-sustaining treatment may help prevent older adults from receiving unwanted treatments.