About Design for End of Life
The Design for End Of Life Lab explores how design can contribute to the quality of life in its last stage. The lab’s research and design focus not only on the person facing end of life, but will take into account the social context such as friends, family, formal and informal care-givers. Design for End of life is about design for palliative care, with the credo “it is not about adding days to your life but about adding life to your days”.
People are rarely prepared for their last stage of life. When in the process of dying, people are vulnerable and often too weak to reflect on, and express what they need and what they want. Design for End of life aims to empower people in their last stage of life, to support them to die in the way they want to.
Our society struggles with many issues regarding End of life: how far should one go in receiving treatments when there is no hope? How autonomous can one be when it comes to deciding to end ones life? In addition, we live in a multi-cultural society, where different cultures have different needs and values when it comes to the end of life and how to approach it.
Domains of research
The design for end of life lab research agenda is structured along the four domains of palliative care: the physical, the psychological, the social and the spiritual aspects of comfort.
Design for End of life also encompasses related aspect such as decision making, funeral rituals, mourning support, or letting go of material possessions.