Life Waltz – A Service Design for Palliative Care Based on Rebuilding Intimate Relationships

“Life Waltz” is a palliative care service design based on the reconstruction of intimate relationships and emotional connection. Using the metaphor of a “ballroom dance,” the project builds a three-stage service journey—solo dance, group dance, and public dance. It encourages patients and families to break the silence, express themselves naturally, and rebuild emotional bonds at the end of life, leading to a fulfilling farewell. Through iterative expansion of service scenarios, the project seeks to bring palliative care beyond the hospital ward into communities, families, and life education contexts.

In China, palliative care is still dominated by clinical treatment, while humanistic care remains insufficient. Patients often remain silent for fear of becoming a burden, families hesitate to speak to avoid emotional pain, and healthcare professionals refrain from sensitive dialogue due to ethical pressures. As a result, the last stage of life is frequently overshadowed by emergency treatments and suffering, while the opportunity for meaningful communication and closure is lost.

The design challenge was: how to guide patients to express their wishes and rebuild intimacy without confronting “death” directly? Through research and interviews in palliative wards, the team identified the rupture of intimacy as the core source of regret. Building on this insight, the service developed an emotional board game kit with cards, maps, and recording CDs, inviting patients to share memories “within the time of a song.”

The prototypes were tested in hospitals, nursing homes, communities, and even weddings, with five rounds of iteration to refine tools and interactions. Beyond the medical setting, the project also leveraged WeChat, mini-programs, and podcasts to extend its social reach and establish a recognizable identity.

The outcomes demonstrated significant impact: over 30 patients and families created dozens of “life archives,” enabling more complete farewells. Several nursing homes and counseling institutions expressed strong interest in adopting the tools for emotional support and parent–child interaction.

At the public level, the project reached more than 3,000 people through lectures and media, bringing the topic of “death education” into wider conversation. The transformation was clear: from a “wall of silence” to “warm conversations,” patients’ wishes were heard and validated.

Ultimately, “Life Waltz” expands palliative care from medical treatment to humanistic and social education, encouraging society to face death with dignity and to recognize the meaning of life. The project establishes a replicable “tools–scenarios–platform” model that carries strong potential for scaling across different contexts and sustaining long-term social impact.