For many people, moving marks a new chapter, and it can be caused by many different things such as a job in another city, a new family, or a fresh start.
But for older adults leaving their homes for the last time, the move is something else entirely.
It is a life transition that can stir both practical challenges and profound emotions.
A swedish study looks at the final transition
At Lund University in Sweden, researcher Linda Arvidsson has examined how elderly people experience the process of moving into residential care.
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Her doctoral study followed seven individuals between 87 and 95 years old as they prepared for, went through, and settled into their new homes.
Linda Arvidsson found that the way the move unfolds has a lasting impact on well-being.
"It turns out that the moving process itself is just as crucial for well-being as the care residents actually receive in the nursing home", she explained in a press release.
Sorting through decades of belongings, deciding what to bring, and saying goodbye to familiar spaces often proved emotionally taxing.
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Several participants said they agreed to move not primarily for their own sake, but to ease the burden on family members.
Fear, uncertainty and the role of family
Anne Marie Mork Rokstad, professor at Molde University College in Norway, has studied similar experiences among people with dementia.
She told Forskning.no that fear of the unknown often shapes how older adults feel about nursing homes.
According to her, many older people resist the idea of moving until their health forces a change.
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Families, meanwhile, may struggle to start that conversation, because they are worried, it will be seen as a wish to “get rid of” their loved one.
Offers of nursing home placement can also come unexpectedly, leaving families with only days to decide.
Despite the emotional strain, Anne Marie Mork Rokstad noted that most people eventually find comfort and stability once the move has taken place.
What makes the move go well?
From her research, Linda Arvidsson identified three conditions that make a transition to a nursing home more successful:
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- Active involvement: Older adults should be as engaged as possible in every stage of the move.
- Supportive relationships: Help from family, friends, or partners creates continuity and trust.
- Timing that fits both sides: The schedule must work for the person moving and their relatives.
Linda Arvidsson also recommends that municipalities or care providers assign a single “move coordinator”, one contact who guides both residents and families through each step.
Too many administrative hands, she argues, can create confusion instead of reassurance.
Source: Forskning.no, Lund University and Forskning.se.
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