Identification of Symptoms and Design of Relocation Stress Syndrome Model For Iranian Elders

The present study was conducted to identify the symptoms and to design the Relocation Stress Syndrome model for nursing home residents. For this purpose, after scrutinizing literature review in this field, questions for semi-structured interviews were extracted. An Interview was conducted with 16 elderly people who were settled in nursing home for less than two months. After transcription, interviews were coded by Grounded theory method. Of the 16 interviews conducted, 112 codes were identified in the Open Coding step; 12 sub-categories were identified in the Axial Coding step and 5 central categories were identified in the selected coding step. Central categories included clinical symptoms, relocation intentions, satisfaction, environmental aspect and physical symptoms. After identifying the symptoms of relocation stress syndrome, the categories were analyzed and categorized in the variables of causal conditions, mediator conditions, consequences and phenomena, and finally, a qualitative model was presented based on the relationship between the categories. The final illustrated pattern demonstrates the effect of accelerating and originating factors including independence in decision making for relocation and the environmental and behavioral factors of the nursing homes in the emergence of relocation stress syndrome. In fact, the volunteering and satisfaction of the elderly on the one hand and the availability of environmental factors on the other hand have a significant role in accepting the new environment by the elderly.