Being a Nursing Home Resident: A Challenge to One's Identity

Abstract

Going into a nursing home can turn out to be a critical life experience if elderly people are afraid of losing their independence and identity after having moved into a nursing home. In order to find out what nursing home residents need in their first year after having moved into a nursing home to maintain their identity and self-determination, 20 problem-orientated interviews with residents of three nursing homes in the Austrian province of Salzburg were conducted and analysed based on content analysis according to Mayring. The participants of this study resist against having decisions taken away from them and fight for their independence and identity. In order to be able to cope with these strains, they need the help of family members, professionals, and identity-forming conversations in new social networks in the nursing home. The study participants draw enough strength from their faith in order to fight for their independence. They develop a new identity close to their previous identity by maintaining autonomy and mobility with a clear focus on the future.

Suicide among nursing home residents in Australia: A national population‐based retrospective analysis of medico‐legal death investigation information

“…The 12‐month period immediately preceding and following admission to a nursing home is recognised as a particularly stressful transition period for older adults and may represent a high‐risk period for suicide. While the average length of stay in a nursing home is approximately 2 to 3 years, the first 12 months of residency represents a difficult time for new residents adjusting to a multitude of changes in their life . Additional support should be provided to residents during this time to help orient them to their new surroundings and to make the transition to life in care as smooth as possible.…”

Tension between freedom and dependence—A challenge for residents who live in nursing homes

“…The need to have their autonomy and integrity respected and attended to is in accordance with a study by Riedl et al. (). Some residents experienced a loss of autonomy and freedom when they could not sit where they wished, or were not allowed to get up in the morning or go to bed when they felt like it, or had to adjust to specific situation and routines.…”

“…This idea is also in conformity with the Universal Declarations of Human Rights (). “Everyone has a right to freedom of movement and residence within borders of each State.” To possess an inner freedom according to one's thoughts or reactions is important, but even more so is the right to be outspoken, to feel free to talk about one's experiences and, perhaps most of all, to be listened to (Riedl et al., ). Our study underlined how important it is to be treated with respect in terms of one's autonomy and integrity, but this was often not the case in reality.…”

Psychosocial changes following transition to an aged care home: qualitative findings from Iran

“…One issue for older Iranian people when moving into an ACH is the considerable communication isolation they experience, especially from their family members. The isolation and separation from previous contacts have been confirmed in previous studies conducted in Western countries (Hauge & Kristin, ; Riedl et al., ) and in Southeast Asia (Chang, ; Tsai & Tsai, ). In participants with previously well‐established family networks, the social and communication isolation they experienced in transitioning to the ACH appeared to be far more distressing than for other resident participant.…”