Applying to a nursing home is a way to maintain control of life-Experiences from Swedish nursing home applicants

Abstract

Background: Swedish social policy enables ageing in place with support from home-based care services despite high age and/or declining health.

Aim: This study aims to describe the daily life experiences behind the decision to apply for a nursing home placement in older adults ageing in place.

Materials and methods: A qualitative design was chosen, and 11 semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed using inductive qualitative content analysis.

Results: The participants described a feeling of dependence in which they had to ignore their personal privacy when receiving home-based care. They reached a turning point when ageing in place was, for several reasons, no longer considered an acceptable option. This influenced their choice to apply to a nursing home where they expected that they could maintain control over their lives.

Discussion and conclusion: The results indicate that when enhancing ageing in place it is important to enable older adults to receive support to maintain autonomy in daily activities and to have the opportunity to age in the right place.

Keywords: activities of daily living; ageing in place; nursing homes; qualitative method.