Background:

The concept of transition means a change in a person's life where he or she is forced to adapt. There are different phases in life that results in different adaptations. In this essay, transition is described as the physical and mental journey between the home and an elder care facility. The Aim was to describe elderly people's experiences of transition when moving from their previous home into an elder care facility. The Method used was a literature review. Ten scientific articles were used for the analysis. The concept of transition has been used as a theoretical frame of reference. Results: Reasons for moving were a decrease in health, loneliness and a need to lose the burdening responsibilities that were connected to their home. Many elderly experienced a loss of feeling secure when living at home. Therefore it was important to arrive in a place that could give them a sense of security. The elderly people experienced a difficulty in adapting to their new home. After some time at their new home, they experienced well-being since the help and relations they received from staff and other residents led to experiences of security. Conclusion: Elderly people described negative as well as positive experiences of the transition, which was also altered over a period of time. Most of the elderly got used to their new form of living and their previous negative attitudes changed into positive attitudes towards the elder care facility.