Abstract

Preparing for death should be an integral part of end-of-life care and a public health concern. The objective of this study was to describe the meanings and practices of preparing for the death of older adults at the end of life from the perspectives of primary health care teams, family members and primary caregivers. A qualitative study was carried out through focus groups and individual interviews with a sample of 99 individuals, 45 primary health care professionals and technicians, 30 caregivers and 16 family members. The results were organized in three dimensions: (1) meanings about death and implications for preparing for death, highlighting the pain of death, suffering relief, and mediation of religious beliefs; (2) the practices of preparation for death of older adults, including the difficulty of talking about death, the search for tranquility and funeral preferences as a form of preparation; and (3) practices of teams that accompany caregivers and families, including psychological and spiritual support during care and the possibility of closing home care cycles during grief. The controversy of preparing for death for study participants and the challenges of primary care to include it in palliative care are discussed. In conclusion, this study shows the importance of including preparation for death strategies in the end-of-life care setting in primary care to promote a good death as an integral part of a good life.