Fairbanks End-of-Life Assessment for 2000
ISN’T IT TIME WE TALKED ABOUT IT?
This is a summary of the survey taken August 2000 at the Alaska State Fair in Fairbanks, Alaska. The Hospice of the Tanana Valley booth offered the survey during the ten day fair. Volunteers man the booth and have numerous materials to distribute to anyone requiring more information. The total number of returned surveys totaled 230 per the original report.
This writer did not have the originals surveys to check totals. This writer transcribed the original report, calculated total responses for each question, checked percentages against number of responses, and produced the tables. This writer categorized the responses listed for question 8 into groups to provide more guidance from the specific requests.
** Percentages do not total due to rounding to whole numbers from fractions.
1. Have you ever felt the need to talk to someone about:
|
Choices – 230 Surveys |
Number |
Percentage |
|
Living Will |
105 |
46% |
|
Organ/Tissue Donation |
84 |
37% |
|
End of life treatment |
77 |
33% |
|
Your reactions to the death of a loved one |
74 |
32% |
|
Durable Power of Attorney |
67 |
29% |
|
Other |
5 |
2% |
|
Other: Burial options; designated organ donor; care of terminally ill; talked to all; none but wife; having cancer – living. |
||
2. Have you been involved in the dying of someone close to you recently?
|
Choices |
Number |
Percentage |
|
Yes |
133 |
60% |
|
No |
89 |
40% |
|
Totals |
222 |
100% |
3. If you were seriously ill, would you want the Doctor to:
|
Choices |
Number |
Percentage |
|
Be candid |
198 |
86% |
|
Talk first with family or close friends |
17 |
7% |
|
Other |
9 |
4% |
|
Not sure |
6 |
3% |
|
Withhold bad news |
0 |
0% |
|
Totals |
230 |
100% |
|
Other: Fix me; tell me all my options; truth/it’ll set you/us/me free; have someone with me; truth worst/best; talk to me (2); euthanasia; tell you/reserve your right to privacy. |
||
4. If you or a loved one were dying, what questions would you have:
|
Choice – 230 Responses |
Number |
Percentage |
|
Pain control |
177 |
77% |
|
Comfort measures |
149 |
65% |
|
Financial concerns |
107 |
47% |
|
Symptom management |
89 |
39% |
|
Bereavement (Grief) support |
86 |
37% |
|
How to know death is near |
76 |
33% |
|
Spiritual concerns |
71 |
31% |
5. What resources are you aware of in the Fairbanks Vicinity?
|
Choice – 230 Responses |
Number |
Percentage |
|
Fairbanks Memorial Hospital |
190 |
83% |
|
Hospice |
127 |
60% |
|
American Cancer Society |
118 |
51% |
|
Fairbanks Resource Agency |
111 |
48% |
|
Home health care |
101 |
44% |
|
Spiritual leaders |
98 |
43% |
|
Other |
10 |
4% |
|
Other – Mental Health; self, family, church; Denali Center [Nursing Home]; Psych; doctors; nurses; natural medicine; Pioneer Home [Assisted Living]; Cancer Center; adult foster home. |
||
6. Do you know what a Hospice program is?
|
Choice – 217 Responses |
Number |
Percentage |
|
Have a general idea |
105 |
48% |
|
Yes, have personal experience |
87 |
40% |
|
Know little or nothing about Hospice |
25 |
12% |
|
Totals |
217 |
100% |
7. If you could die at a place of your own choosing, would it be:
|
Choice – 214 Responses |
Number |
Percentage |
|
Home |
186 |
87% |
|
Hospital |
13 |
6% |
|
Extended Care Facility |
11 |
5% |
|
Other |
4 |
2% |
|
Totals |
213 |
100% |
|
Other – mountain-woods; my choosing; Mongolia; nature. |
||
8. What end of life issues would you like to hear about?
|
Choice – 60 Responses |
Number |
Percentage |
|
Advance Directives: Choice of death over cancer; choice of going or being terminal; right to end by choice/ not suffer longer; right to die; right to die issues; choose own death (when ill/life support); spiritual – more on order of Steve Levine’s work; withdrawing or withholding treatment; no chemo; peaceful passage; preparation while well; being in control. |
11 |
18% |
|
Specific Topics: Cryogenics; Euthanasia; Organ donation; Home care; Reincarnation |
10 |
17% |
|
Legal/Financial: about bury – minimum needs to be done; women better prepared financially when he dies; legal questions; my death not being a burden to those left behind; costs; if in nursing home, can state take property or will kids get it?; burials; about my rights. |
8 |
13% |
|
Family Issues: Family; family support; care for family; about my children; assistance for family; family should be informed; family resource to help with grief; End of life as apply to emotion of youth and teens |
7 |
12% |
|
Assisted Suicide: Assisted suicide; for terminally ill consenting adults; no life taking – assisted suicide; |
5 |
8% |
|
Resources: Who/where to go about help; all; what’s available in Fairbanks; support group education; passing on life stories. |
5 |
8% |
|
Comfort: Pain relief; comfort measures/pain control; how best to comfort a loved one who is dying; |
4 |
7% |
|
Spiritual: What happens to spirit after death; accept Jesus wouldn’t fear death; Spiritual/holistic healing; non-religious approaches. |
4 |
7% |
|
Talking About It: Help other understand how I feel; no secrets between family members – how to talk about it. |
2 |
3% |
|
Questions: Where will I go when I die, will it hurt; Why are we living at all. |
2 |
3% |
|
Political: Changing ways health care problem approach issues of dying: better care of elderly. |
2 |
3% |
|
Totals |
60 |
99% ** |
9. Personal information:
|
Choice – Race 206 Responses |
Number |
Percentage |
|
Choice – Age 152 Responses |
Number |
Percentage |
|
Caucasian |
176 |
85% |
|
41-50 |
58 |
38% |
|
African American |
11 |
5% |
|
51-60 |
40 |
26% |
|
Alaska Native |
9 |
4% |
|
31-40 |
16 |
11% |
|
Asian |
6 |
3% |
|
21-30 |
13 |
9% |
|
Hispanic |
4 |
2% |
|
61-70 |
12 |
8% |
|
|
|
|
|
71+ |
9 |
6% |
|
Totals |
206 |
100% |
|
Totals |
152 |
100% |
10. Do you think the current health care system is doing a good job of taking care of the dying?
|
Choice – 233 Responses |
Number |
Percentage |
|
No |
100 |
43% |
|
Do not know |
85 |
37% |
|
Yes |
48 |
21% |
|
Totals |
233 |
101% ** |
|
Comments – could be better, seems based on existing funds; sometimes; not financially; could be better; room for improvement; if they think you are close they don’t care. |
||
Submitted by: Charlotte M. Davis in November 2003
