The importance of thanatology in old age:

accompaniment, grief, and meaning of life

Abstract

Population ageing has become one of the most significant demographic phenomena of the 21st century. As life expectancy increases, so does the number of people who reach old age facing successive losses: the death of a partner and close friends, deterioration of physical abilities, the onset of chronic diseases, and the loss of functional independence and social roles that have been built over decades.

In this context, thanatology emerges as a particularly relevant field of knowledge and practice. Rather than focusing solely on the moment of death, thanatology addresses the process of dying, rituals, grief, and the search for meaning in the face of finitude.

In old age, the experience of grief takes on specific nuances. The accumulation of losses, physical frailty, heightened awareness of life’s limits, and loneliness or social isolation lead many older adults to experience suffering in a silent or invisible way. Speaking of thanatology in this context implies recognizing not only the need to relieve emotional pain, but also to protect the dignity, autonomy, and sense of meaning in the lives of older adults, by offering spaces for listening, validation, and accompaniment that honor their life stories and their right to a more humane end of life.

Recepción: 19/09/2025

Aprobación: 08/12/2025