EXAMINING THE PROCESS OF COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS CREATING A LEGACY OF VALUES

Abstract

Abstract Creating a legacy of values (e.g., legacy letter) is a way to promote generativity by communicating emotional and supportive instruction (e.g., values, life lessons) to others. This study aimed to a) understand the process of how older adults create a legacy of values, b) identify contextual factors surrounding creation, and c) describe older adults’ experiences of creation. We recruited community-dwelling older adults who had previously created a legacy of values to participate in semi-structured interviews. Interpretive description guided data collection and analysis. We initially coded the transcripts deductively, based on the literature, and inductively; data were organized into categories (i.e., by contextual factors and process steps) and analyzed using constant comparison to identify patterns. Participants (n=16) had a mean age of 72.3 years (SD=5.8, range=65-83), most were female (n=14), and all had children and identified as non-Hispanic White. Motivations for creation included aging, transitions, or events (e.g., travel). Participants tailored the contents (e.g., life lessons) and format to recipients, revised their legacy of values over time, and recommended the process to others. The creation process was non-linear, iterative, and influenced by participants’ personal and familial contextual factors. Synthesis of these findings resulted in developing the Process Model for Creating a Legacy of Values, which depicts the iterative and interconnected nature of the content, process, and experience of creating a legacy of values. Our findings indicate older adults are seeking resources to create their legacy of values in a self-directed way, and that it is an acceptable, accessible, and relevant process.