Support needs of older adults coping with the death of close others: toward a community-based approach to death education in China.

Abstract

With the development of community-based educational gerontology in China, increasing attention has been paid to death education for community-dwelling older adults. However, existing programs remain limited, particularly in addressing the acceptance of others' deaths. This study examines the support needs of older adults in coping with the death of close others within the context of community-based educational gerontology in China. Based on a questionnaire survey of 396 participants, the findings identify three key patterns. First, support needs are structured by life stage, shifting from independence-oriented responses among younger-old adults to increasing psychological and practical needs among older-old adults. Second, a clear distinction emerges between anticipated and experienced needs, with bereavement experience being associated with a shift in perceptions of support from abstract emotional expectations to more concrete and practical demands. Third, awareness of death education is unevenly distributed and closely associated with educational attainment, shaping both the recognition of support needs and willingness to engage in related learning activities. Interpreted through Harry Moody's framework, the findings suggest that life experience may not automatically function as a learning resource. The study highlights the importance of dialogue-centered approaches in transforming bereavement experiences into preparedness and informing the development of community-based death education.