Living Arrangements
Relocation Effects
There has long been concern that relocation to a nursing home may adversely affect physical and mental health due to the disruption of daily routines and connections to family and friends. Recent research has demonstrated higher mortality rates among those who have recently relocated to a nursing home, compared with persons remaining at home. This problem has been labeled relocation stress syndrome, defined as physiological or psychosocial reactions resulting from transfer from one environment to another. Symptoms include anxiety, apprehension, confusion, depression, and loneliness. Acceptance to institutionalization generally begins within six to eight weeks, and adjustment is usually complete within three to six months.
It could be argued that it is not the relocation itself that leads to a greater likelihood of mortality, but the admission of largely high-risk persons who are already near death. However, one study found that those institutionalized for reasons other than poor health also experienced an increase in mortality immediately following admission to a nursing home (Aneshensel et al., 2000), suggesting that there are factors inherent in the relocation itself that elevate the postadmission mortality rate.
There are a range of housing types available to older adults, and the factors that influence moves seem complex. Most research has focused on predictors of relocation to different geographical areas (to be closer to or with family members), or to institutions. Future research needs to explore predictors of relocation into specific housing types, such as assisted living or CCRCs. The rapid growth of the older adult population necessitates an understanding of determinants of living arrangements and its implications for the elderly.
CHRISTY M. NISHITA JON PYROOS
See also AGING IN PLACE; ASSISTED LIVING; BOARD AND CARE HOMES; CONGREGATE HOUSING; CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES; CORESIDENCE; GOVERNMENT ASSISTED HOUSING; HOME CARE AND HOME SERVICES; HOUSING; MIGRATION, GEOGRAPHIC MOBILITY AND DISTRIBUTION; NURSING HOMES; RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Assisted Living Federation of America. The Assisted Living Industry 1999: An Overview. Fairfax, Va.: ALFA, 1999.
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National Association of Home Care. World Wide Web document, 2001. www.nahc.org.
SCHAFER, R. Determinants of the Living Arrangements of the Elderly. Boston, Mass.: Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard University, 1999.
SILVERSTEIN, M., and ZABLOTSKY, D. L. "Health and Social Precursors of Later Life Retirement-Community Migration." Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences 51B, no. 3 (1996): S150–S156.
SIRROCCO, A. Nursing Homes and Board and Care Homes. Hyattsville, Md.: National Center for Health Statistics, 1994.
WOLINSKI, F. D.; STUMP, T. E.; and CALLAHAN, C. M. "Does Being Placed in a Nursing Home Make You Sicker and More Likely to Die?" In Societal Mechanisms for Maintaining Competence in Old Age. Edited by S. L. Willis, K. W. Schaie, and M. Hayward. New York: Springer, 1997. Pages 94–130.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research. The Challenge of Housing Security: Report to Congress on the Housing Conditions and Needs of Older Americans. Washington, D.C.: HUD, 1999.
LIVING WILL
See ADVANCE DIRECTIVES FOR HEALTH CARE
Additional topics
Medicine EncyclopediaAging Healthy - Part 3Living Arrangements - Historical Perspective, Types Of Living Arrangements, Housing For Semi-independent Older Persons, Dependent Older Adults