Introducing the 8A model in death education training: Promoting planning for end-of-life care for Hong Kong Chinese

Although planning for end-of-life care is crucial, it is underdeveloped in the Hong Kong Chinese context. To review the local experience in death education training, it was found that helping professionals may not be equipped with adequate knowledge and skills to deal with the various needs of clients in death preparation and planning for end-of-life care. In view of this, an 8A model (alienation, avoidance, access, acknowledgment, action, acceptance, appreciation, and actualization) was developed as a framework for providing death education to these professionals. The 8A model adapted the Transtheoretical model for understanding the needs of clients in different phases of behavior change. In this article, details of the 8A model and how it can enhance professionals' work with clients in death education and planning for end-of-life care are discussed.