Building a New Nest: The Experience of Women Relocating to a Seniors-Designated Apartment Building

Abstract

Although relocation has been a subject of research for the last 30 years, few studies have described the experience of relocating to congregated housing for the elderly. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to describe women's experiences of relocating to an apartment building for seniors and the factors that influence relocation. The 11 women interviewed identified the central issue in relocation as 're-establishing the self': the physical and psychosocial changes entailed in constructing a supportive and aesthetically pleasing living space while maintaining a sense of well-being. The basic social process that emerged was 'building a new nest,' a non-linear process comprising 3 phases. The findings offer new insights into an aspect of relocation that is rarely explored in nursing research.