Publication: THE STRESS IMPACTS OF RELOCATION ON ELDERLY
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Date
2023-04-20
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Abstract
Moving into an assisted living facility can be a challenge and also place stress on the elderly, their caregivers, and their families. Specific stressors that the elderly face when moving into an assisted living facility include fear of losing family, memory, physical mobility, and freedom. I conducted a literature review to investigate how the stress of moving into an assisted living facility impacts an elder’s mental and physical health. I investigated this research question from multiple perspectives including the staff, family, and the elderly. I looked for articles that focused on moving into an assisted living facility, what the signs of depression and other mental health issues are in elderly, and what impact this move has on the family. I identified eight research articles published between 1995-2019 in journals such as Issues in Mental Health Nursing, Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, and Aging and Mental Health. These articles identified multiple pathways between elders moving into a long term care facility and stress. From a family perspective, family members were surprised and felt a sense of guilt when placing their elders into a home. From a staff perspective, burnout is prevalent due to overwork and understaffing. Unfortunately, families’ guilt and staff’s burnout can increase stress experienced by the elders in the care facilities. Additionally, stress driven by uncertainty, unfamiliarity, the fear of aging, as well as health and cognitive decline are related to greater stress during a transition to a care facility. When completing this literature review, I had a hard time finding articles that directly addressed the impact of transitioning into a care facility. The elderly population is growing and needs to be taken care of, thus, it is important for researchers to further research on this issue.