“A Tangible Gift of Intangible Value”: The Process of Legacy Creation Among Older Adults

Sarah A. Neller, Kristin G. Cloyes, Linda S. Edelman, Bob Wong, Barry Baines, Gail L. Towsley, College of Nursing, The University of Tennessee, School of Nursing, Oregon Health , Science University, College of Nursing, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Hennepin Health Care Hospice of the Twin Cities

Journal of Applied Gerontology

Published online on June 09, 2026

Abstract

Journal of Applied Gerontology, Ahead of Print.
This study describes the process of older adults creating a legacy of values (e.g., legacy letter), which promotes generativity by communicating emotional and supportive instruction (e.g., values and life lessons) to others. We conducted semi-structured ...