Relocation to a long-term care facility: working with patients and families before, during, and after

Permanent relocation of a dependent older adult to a long-term care facility can occur for a number of reasons, including the need for postacute care or a higher level of care than can be provided in a less-restrictive environment, and/or the inability of family members or others to care for the individual in a noninstitutional setting. Outcomes of institutional placement may be either negative, such as the older adult experiencing relocation stress syndrome, or positive, such as improved management of chronic illnesses and reversal of functional decline. This article offers a review of the factors that predict when and where older adults will relocate for institutional long-term care, an overview of individual transitions to institutional care, and suggestions for seamless transitions during the preinstitutionalization, transitional, and postinstitutionalization phases of relocation, which are guided by a transactionist approach to stress and coping.