The impact of an interinstitutional relocation on nursing home residents requiring a high level of care

Abstract

Residents of two older nursing homes (n = 196) were relocated to a new 238-bed facility. A nonequivalent control group (n = 74) design with two pretests and two posttests was used to assess the impact of this move on their well-being and health. The relocated residents and control-group residents required a similar level of nursing care. Residents to be relocated participated in a preparation program designed to enhance their sense of control and predictability over the move. Analyses of medical records, nurses' ratings, and interviews strongly suggest that the move had no negative effect on the residents as a group or on vulnerable subgroups of residents.