Introduction: As the population ages, the need for taking care thereof increases, as well. When the elderly themselves or their relatives are unable to provide care, and the affected need outer assistance, the sole solution are supposedly nursing homes, whereas other means of care assistance, including day care services, are overlooked. Adult day care enables the elderly to continue living at home, but all the while integration into the institutional care facilities takes place on a daily basis. During this process, the members are exposed to the new environment, introduced to new people, and to the nursing home system, which renders the potential subsequent transition to the nursing home facility smoother and less stressful. Purpose: We wanted to establish the reasons for admitting and accommodating the elderly in nursing homes or day care facilities, as well as establish the influence of day care services on the transition and the admission to nursing homes, and on the subsequent partaking in the activities. Methods: Interviews with ten immediate family members, whose elderly relatives are currently a part of the same nursing home establishment, were carried out. Half of these elderly people have been admitted to the facility through the day care service, while the other half have been taken in directly. The collected data have been processed by means of a qualitative analysis, and grounded theory has been designed. Results: The most common reasons for admission to the elderly day care and the nursing home were physical, cognitive, and mental problems, weariness of life/passiveness, jeopardizing own safety/health, difficulties in performing daily activities, and overwhelmed family members. The stage after having been admitted to the nursing home was perceived as more stressful to those who had been admitted directly. The analysis has shown that such a transition affects the general wellbeing of the elderly, and prompts their refusal to participate in activities and socializing. Such shifts in the stress level were not detected in those who had been a part of the day care service prior to the admission to the nursing home. The latter more frequently partake in activities; however, these discrepancies are less conspicuous after a period of time in the nursing establishment. Discussion and conclusion: The results show that the transition to a nursing home is smoother provided the elderly are first introduced to a day care service. It has been established that, thereby, the aged are more likely to participate in activities, and thus, increase their quality of life.
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