Elderly people who live in nursing homes can be faced with intramural relocations for various reasons, whether individual or per group. Because the impact of these intramural relocations on residents is unknown, our aim is to explore how relocations within nursing homes affect residents from different stakeholder-perspectives.

We performed semi-structured individual interviews and a focus group with various stakeholders of intramural relocations to collect a broad outlook on its practice based on diverse perspectives and lived experiences. The interviews and focus group were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using responsive and thematic analysis.

Seventeen interviews were held and one online focus group with six participants. In the interviews, participants mentioned various reasons for intramural relocations, such as outdated real estate for group relocations or changing healthcare demand for individual relocations. Participants distinguished various levels of impact on residents on different moments in time (before, during and after the relocation). The impact varied from very positive (e.g. looking forward and excited) to very negative (e.g. stressful, traumatic, hard to understand). Aspects that influenced the impact of relocation were related to 1) the mental resilience of residents, 2) how relocations were organized, 3) the presence and quality of social connections of residents and 4) if benefits of the new (care) environment were experienced. The focus group added insights on the importance of clear and timely communication with residents and recognizability of (personal) items and personnel from the former nursing home to reduce negative experiences of residents relocating within nursing homes.

The impact of relocations within nursing homes differs per situation, moment in time and resident. Aspects found that influence the impact provide targets to reduce the negative impact on residents: practices should focus on good preparation, clear communication, preserving social connections of residents where possible and paying attention to the benefits of the new (care) environment for the residents. Further research may focus on the lived experiences and perceived impact of relocations within nursing homes of residents themselves to develop in depth insights into tailored (care) needs of residents during the relocation process.