Moving into a care home: the role of adult children in the placement process

Admission of an older person to a care home is widely recognised as a very stressful period for the family and one which, despite community care policy, is likely to be an increasingly common experience. Although there is a growing research base in this area, there have been few studies on the role of adult children in supporting their parents during this difficult transition. This paper reports on the third stage of a grounded theory study conducted in Sweden which explored the part played by adult children in the placement process. Data were collected from 13 adult children using in-depth semi-structured interviews and the results are compared with themes previously derived from interviews with 26 spouse carers. The analysis reveals important overlaps and differences and suggests the need for further research exploring the dynamics of the placement process.