Four aspects of self-image close to death at home

• Living close to death means an inevitable confrontation with one’s own existential limitation. In this article, we argue that everyday life close to death embodies an identity work in progress. We used a narrative approach and a holistic-content reading to analyze 12 interviews conducted with three persons close to death. By illuminating the unique stories and identifying patterns among the participants’ narratives, we found four themes exemplifying important aspects of the identity work related to everyday life close to death. Two of the themes, named ‘‘Inside and outside of me’’ and ‘‘Searching for togetherness,’’ represented the core of the self-image and were framed by the other themes, ‘‘My place in space’’ and ‘‘My death and my time.’’ Our findings elucidate the way the individual stories moved between the past, the present, and the future. This study challenges the idea that everyday life close to impending death primarily means limitations. The findings show that the search for meaning, new knowledge, and community can form a part of a conscious and ongoing identity work close to death.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Omvårdnad (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Nursing (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Death and dying

identity

narrative research

palliative care

qualitative inquiry

self-image

MEDICINE

MEDICIN

Caring sciences

Vårdvetenskap

Vårdvetenskap

Nursing Science

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)