King's College London

Professor Linda Yin-King Lee, Professor in the School of Nursing and Health Studies at Hong Kong Metropolitan University and visiting scholar at King’s College London until July 2024, discussed her work with Unit researchers on 30 April, who welcomed her research enthusiastically.

Professor Lee's research focuses on expanding ‘ageing in place’ to include 'dying in place'. International policies often focus on supporting people to age in place, whereby people grow older in their own home or chosen community environment, but Lee is keen to incorporate ‘dying in place’ which is the last stage in this continuum of care to support people to die in their usual place where they live, if this is something they desire. She spoke about a programme providing health and social care support and information to people supporting relatives to die in place that is being rolled out in Hong Kong. Although well-received, practical challenges have arisen, not least from the cultural taboo surrounding death at home.

She also spoke of other research she is undertaking such as a study exploring the experiences of ageing for married couples who do not have children: something of particular interest in a culture where there is an expectation that care and support in later life will be undertaken by the adult children of older adults.

Professor Lee’s previous research and future research plans were of much interest to Unit staff, some of whom are working on related research programmes such as the SUPPORTED study.

As a result of the visit, Professor Lee reports she has arranged a visit to a Death Cafe while on her visit to London where she hopes to exchange ideas around death and dying.