[Moving into a residential home -- experiences of the elderly and their relatives]

The change of ones habitual living conditions in favor of institutionalized living in a residential home is for an old person usually connected with many difficulties. Psychological studies support the argument that unprepared or sudden relocation leads to dramatic somatic and psychic reactions of the old person (anxiety, depression), as well as his care-givers. In this context we examined 45 elderly and 34 relatives about their experiences and changes in their life during the moving process. The most striking findings the positive experiences of the elderly and relatives during the relocation process, the low amount of information about residential home especially of the elderly, the positive attitude of elderly and relatives towards the residential home and finally the well-developed processes of short-term accommodation and subjective well-being.