Table 3 Issues of concern for residents and their families during advance care planning implementation

Same

1. The inevitability of a goodbye

1-1 Letting go of life

1-1-1 Dying of old age as natural

1. The inevitability of a goodbye

1-1 Facing the limits of how long one can live

1-1-1 Life has an end

1-1-2 Death is a natural phenomenon

1-1-2 Death must be faced

1-2 Being put out of one’s misery

1-2-1 Life brought back by emergency resuscitation only adds to suffering

1-2 The inevitability of death

1-2-1 Life brought back by emergency resuscitation still must end eventually

1-2-2 Death is liberation

1-2-2 Death is liberation

2. A good death

2-1 Not needing anything

2-1-1 Refusing to receive emergency care

2. A good death

2-1 Not being given painful life-sustaining treatment

2-1-1 Refusing to receive emergency care

2-1-2 Avoiding painful treatments

2-1-2 Avoiding painful treatment

2-2 Wanting to depart without pain

2-2-1 Dying smoothly

2-2 Dying naturally and comfortably

2-2-1 Dying smoothly

2-2-2 Dying peacefully and comfortably

2-2-2 Dying peacefully and comfortably

3. Going with or against traditional culture

3-1 Bound by traditional cultural beliefs

3-1-1 Giving up emergency care is considered filial piety

3. Going with or against traditional culture

3-1 Not giving up the chance to live

3-1-1 Trying your best before deciding on the next step

3-1-2 Family harmony leads to prosperity

3-1-3 Fate and reincarceration

3-2 Doing good and doing no harm

3-2-1 Avoiding negative end-of-life situations that other older family members experienced

3-2 Not the right moment to make a decision

3-2-1 Previous experiences in handling family members’ medical treatment

Different

4. Better a good death than a bad life

4-1 No lingering desire for life

4-1-1 Fear of the negative effects of prolonging life

5. Abiding by the residents’ decisions

5-1 Respecting the resident’s wishes for a good death

5-1-1 Respecting the resident’s desire to receive no emergency care

4-2 Regretting the family’s decision back then

4-2-1 It would have been nice to go

6. Being willing but unable to take care of residents

6-1 Economic pressure

6-1-1 Economic burden

6-1-2 Consumption of government resources

6-2 Failure to fulfil one’s family responsibilities

6-2-1 The burden of raising the next generation

6-2-2 There is no need for filial piety toward someone who has been sick for a long time