TY - JOUR
T1 - Preparing for the Future While Living in the Present
T2 - Older Adults’ Experiences Creating a Legacy of Values
AU - Neller, Sarah A.
AU - Cloyes, Kristin G.
AU - Edelman, Linda S.
AU - Wong, Bob
AU - Baines, Barry
AU - Towsley, Gail L.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved.
PY - 2023/11/1
Y1 - 2023/11/1
N2 - Background and Objectives: A legacy of values (e.g., legacy letter) is a nonlegal way to intentionally communicate intangible assets (e.g., values, life lessons, and emotional and supportive instruction) with others. There is scant research on legacy creation outside of a palliative care context, and no studies have explored the experiences of community-dwelling older adults creating a legacy of values. Research Design and Methods: As part of an exploratory sequential mixed methods study, we conducted semistructured interviews with older adults (N = 16) who had previously created a legacy of values. We analyzed transcribed interviews using an interpretive descriptive approach. We iteratively coded interviews deductively with sensitizing concepts identified in the literature (existential well-being, end-of-life preparation and completion, generativity, and resilience), and inductively, based on participants’ descriptions. Codes were categorized by patterns of motivations, content, outcomes, and meaning, and thematically summarized. Results: We conceptualized the overall experience of creating a legacy of values as Preparing for the Future While Living in the Present and identified 4 themes: Preserving the Intangible for You and for Me, Sharing What I Want You to Know, Obtaining Peace through Reflection and Preparation, and Living into a Continuing Legacy. Participants attained peace, realized their life was not complete, and were challenged to live intentionally through legacy creation. Discussion and Implications: Creating a legacy of values may concurrently prepare older adults for the end of life and the remainder of life. These findings offer insight into a generative act that can promote intentional living among older adults.
AB - Background and Objectives: A legacy of values (e.g., legacy letter) is a nonlegal way to intentionally communicate intangible assets (e.g., values, life lessons, and emotional and supportive instruction) with others. There is scant research on legacy creation outside of a palliative care context, and no studies have explored the experiences of community-dwelling older adults creating a legacy of values. Research Design and Methods: As part of an exploratory sequential mixed methods study, we conducted semistructured interviews with older adults (N = 16) who had previously created a legacy of values. We analyzed transcribed interviews using an interpretive descriptive approach. We iteratively coded interviews deductively with sensitizing concepts identified in the literature (existential well-being, end-of-life preparation and completion, generativity, and resilience), and inductively, based on participants’ descriptions. Codes were categorized by patterns of motivations, content, outcomes, and meaning, and thematically summarized. Results: We conceptualized the overall experience of creating a legacy of values as Preparing for the Future While Living in the Present and identified 4 themes: Preserving the Intangible for You and for Me, Sharing What I Want You to Know, Obtaining Peace through Reflection and Preparation, and Living into a Continuing Legacy. Participants attained peace, realized their life was not complete, and were challenged to live intentionally through legacy creation. Discussion and Implications: Creating a legacy of values may concurrently prepare older adults for the end of life and the remainder of life. These findings offer insight into a generative act that can promote intentional living among older adults.
KW - End of life
KW - Existential experience
KW - Generativity
KW - Human development
KW - Symbolic immortality
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U2 - 10.1093/geront/gnad019
DO - 10.1093/geront/gnad019
M3 - Article
C2 - 36842069
AN - SCOPUS:85174751352
SN - 0016-9013
VL - 63
SP - 1488
EP - 1496
JO - Gerontologist
JF - Gerontologist
IS - 9
ER -