Transitions and Adjustment in Aged Care Environments

Transitions into aged care represent a pivotal life event marked by complex emotional, social and practical challenges for older adults and their families. The process typically unfolds through pre-admission decision-making, relocation and subsequent adaptation phases, each influenced by factors such as continuity of identity, loss of familiar surroundings and shifting family roles. Older people often encounter relocation stress, a form of psychological strain arising from disrupted routines, perceived loss of autonomy and fears about dependency. Successful adjustment hinges on a combination of personal coping resources, supportive relationships with care staff and family, and environment-specific interventions that promote participation and self-determination. Globally, demographic ageing intensifies the need for culturally sensitive, evidence-based strategies to facilitate these transitions and preserve quality of life. Practically, this has led to the development of induction programmes, shared decision-making frameworks and mental health support tools designed to enhance resilience, maintain social connections and respect individual preferences. Integrating these approaches across diverse care settings underlines the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration among gerontologists, nursing staff, pastoral care practitioners and policymakers to ensure that aged care environments evolve in concert with residents’ psychological and social needs.

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Transitions and Adjustment in Aged Care Environments publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in transitions and adjustment in aged care environments across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Relocation stress: Psychological strain arising from the move into a care setting, often featuring anxiety, uncertainty and grief over lost autonomy.

Psychological adjustment: The process by which individuals adapt emotionally and cognitively to new living environments and routines.

Learned resourcefulness: A repertoire of self-help and cognitive strategies that an individual acquires to manage stress and maintain psychological balance.

Self-efficacy: One’s belief in the capacity to execute actions required to handle prospective situations and achieve desired outcomes.

Social support: The perception or reality of assistance and care provided by social networks, including family, peers and professional staff.

Autonomy: The ability to make informed, uncoerced decisions about one’s own care, routines and lifestyle choices.

References

1. Challenges and care strategies associated with the admission to nursing homes in Germany: a scoping review. BMC Nursing (2023).
2. Nursing home adjustment in China: mediating and moderating effects. BMC Geriatrics (2023).
3. Strategies to support older adults’ mental health during the transition into residential aged care: a qualitative study of multiple stakeholder perspectives. BMC Geriatrics (2022).