The purpose of this study was to assess nutritional status in elderly people, newly admitted to a community resident home, and to describe the characteristics of residents with protein-energy malnutrition (PEM). The participants were 261 people, 65 to 103 years of age (M= 84.8+/-7.1 in women, 82.5+/-6.4 in men) who during one year entered special types of housing for the elderly in a municipality in the south of Sweden. During the first two weeks after admission nutritional status was assessed using weight index, triceps skinfold thickness, arm muscle circumference, serum albumin and transthyretin. Demographic and sociomedical data and eating-related factors were collected by using structured interviews and studying residents records. PEM was found in 29% of the residents who entered municipal care from their own homes, 33% among those moving within municipal care and 43% of the residents who entered from hospital care. Pressure sores or leg ulcers, psychological stress or acute disease in the previous 3 months, reduced fluid intake, deteriorated appetite, reduced mobility, need of help during meals and gastrointestinal symptoms were factors associated with PEM.