Older Chinese people's experiences of relocation to long-term care facilities: A literature review of qualitative studies

Abstract

An aging population in China has made long-term care a prominent issue. Long-term facilities are accommodating an increasing number of older people. However, relocating to such facilities can be a stressful experience and may affect the quality of life there. Thus, this review study aimed to comprehensively determine the relocation experiences and perspectives from pre- to post-institutionalization in long-term care facilities. Six databases were examined to find pertinent research published between 2000 and 2022. The search terms were "Chinese," "aged," "long-term care facility," and "experience" for qualitative research published in English and Chinese. Meta-ethnography was applied to synthesize results from the included studies. Of the initial 2,114 studies retrieved, 25 studies were included. Seven core categories were identified as relocation experiences and perspectives: (i) decision-making and preparation for relocation, (ii) physical and psychological burden, (iii) attitude change toward relocation, (iv) self-efforts for adaptation, (v) care needs during admission, (vi) daily life becomes affluent through participation, and (vii) concerns about the future. This review study provided insights into the characteristics of subjective condition changes of relocation experiences among older Chinese people from pre- to post-institutionalization. Our results indicate that relocation support should start before admission and be smoothly delivered during the whole relocation period because of the transition concerns and subjective conditions that are connected and interrelated.