More than two thirds of older people living in nursing homes felt unhappy about moving into one and found the experience of moving difficult and even traumatic, a study to be published today finds.
The research, which was was commissioned by the charity, Age and Opportunity, is titled Home From Home? It is the first study in more than 20 years which records the views of older people in residential care.
Based on interviews with 31 older people who moved into residential care in the past 24 months, it aims to record their view of what constitutes "social gain" or "quality of life".
The authors identify eight "domains" which impacted positively or negatively on the older people's quality of life.
These were companionship, privacy, being part of the community, activities, contact with family, being cared for, sense of safety and security and religious life.
