The communicative impact of institutionalization for the elderly: The admissions process

It has been estimated that nearly 25% of all individuals living beyond their sixty-fifth birthday will spend a significant portion of time living or recuperating within a nursing home. While these individuals must cope with the physical problems which have necessitated their institutionalization, they must also adapt to a highly structured environment which often controls the communicative world of each individual effected by the institution. This article highlights the unique communicative world of the nursing home. Special attention is paid to the transition each elderly resident must make as he or she enters the nursing home and the limits placed on interpersonal activity by the rules and regulations of nursing homes. Finally, the initial interactions which do take place between staff and the new residents and the new residents with "tenured" residents are shown to highlight feelings of dependence and unhealthiness as fostered by the institution.