Abstract
Although young adults tend to have a positive attitude toward advance care planning in the United States, few actually engage in the act of completing advanced directives. Young adults are more than capable of discussing end-of-life wishes, and with the exposure to early death due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important to have these discussions earlier in one’s life rather than wait until older adulthood. This conceptual paper utilizes the theoretical frameworks of successful aging and continuity theory to examine perspectives of younger adults’ attitudes on end-of-life planning and propose strategies for engaging this population in end-of-life conversations. Preliminary results from the literature show that young adults are ready and willing to engage in end-of-life planning discussions; and facilitating these discussions through innovative approaches will enhance the quality of life. Over time, through a pilot-longitudinal study (that this conceptual paper is the foundation for), we expect to find that young adults felt they aged successfully to middle and older adulthood.
Presenters
Chesney WardAssistant Professor, Social Work, Utah State University, Utah, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Social and Cultural Perspectives on Aging
KEYWORDS
Young Adult, Successful Aging, Advance Care Planning, End-of-Life
