Integrating the experience of institutionalization: Subjective perceptions of nursing home residents

Abstract

The purpose of this exploratory study, using grounded theory methodology, was to investigate the impact of institutionalization on the elderly nursing home resident's sense of connectedness with valued attachments. The five female subjects who participated in the study ranged in age from 76 to 92 years. Their lengths of stay at the facility ranged from two months to three years and six months. Data collection and analysis involved interviewing the subjects and comparing and contrasting their responses. This resulted in the identification of a core process labeled Integrating the Experience of Institutionalization. This core process incorporated the subjects' cognitive appraisal of conditions and contingencies related to their past and present lives and involved coping strategies and consequences. The findings of this study were viewed from a developmental perspective in light of the universal need of the elderly individual for integration. This study has implications for nursing research, education and practice.