Bringing Dying Back Home? – Northern Finns’ End-of-Life Preparations, Concerns and Care Preferences and Finnish Care Policy’s Emphasis on Care at Home

In recent years, Finnish care policy has emphasised that older people should remain at home for as long as possible. Since the final stages of life and death will theoretically happen more often in the home, it is important to identify people’s experiences and needs regarding end-of-life care and dying. The aim of this article is to provide knowledge on these questions from the perspective of the Northern Finnish people (N = 294). Statistical analysis was used with data gathered from a survey of a random sample. People’s wishes for their end-of-life place and carers and their end-of-life plans and concerns, are analysed as part of a social and cultural construction of dying and end-of-life care. The results show that people do have end-of-life concerns and that they consider end-of-life planning important but that few preparations are actually made. In many instances, home is regarded as the best place for end-of-life care and dying, but care institutions are also regarded positively. Reliance on professional care is very strong, even though people hope to receive care from family members as well. The results are discussed in the light of Finnish care policy and end-of-life culture.