Women's strategies for living in a nursing home

1. Elderly women who appear to be managing their own lives even as nursing home residents were found in this study to employ 10 specific strategies. 2. The study showed that the women wanted as much control as possible over their lives and their day-to-day decisions. 3. Remaining active and, in particular, engaging in activities that encouraged them to remain mentally alert was important to them. 4. Sociability, including interaction with family members on a regular basis, was a strategy used by all participants.