The aim of this study was to examine preparations for the end of life made by older people with supportive care needs and the factors that support or undermine a sense of dignity. Thirty-four participants in Bristol and Nottingham were recruited via GPs and day centres. All had health problems that required support and care to varying degrees, including family care and support, medical treatment, community nursing, home care services and moves to care homes. They were interviewed face-to-face on four occasions (on average) between June 2008 and January 2011 and contacted by telephone between interviews. Face-to-face interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. At the end of the study, participants attended a social event at which emerging results were presented and discussed. Later life is a time of significant change and challenge. The increased likelihood of bereavement and problems with health and mobility bring death into sharp focus and can pose a threat to older people's autonomy and sense of dignity. The aim of this research is to examine how older people with supportive care needs experience this stage of the life-course, what preparations they make for the end of life and what supports or undermines their sense of dignity. Dignity is understood as encompassing respect, recognition, autonomy, independence and identity. The research will examine how changing circumstances, including increased dependency on others, affects participants’ sense of dignity. This qualitative study will be conducted over 3 years with 40 people aged 75 and over who will be selected because of their need for support and care. The relatively longitudinal approach will enable us to identify how perceptions of dignity change with changing circumstances and how others who provide care and support influence these perceptions. Through its focus on the experiences and perceptions of older participants this research has the potential to enhance knowledge concerning dignity and be of benefit to health and social care policies and practice.

Multiple face-to-face interviews were conducted with 34 elderly participants from Bristol or Nottingham. Telephone interviews were also used.