Abstract
This study describes the meaning of living in a Swedish nursing-home, and the thoughts, experiences and feelings of an elderly person who no longer can remain in his/her home. The method of the study is qualitative. The interviews took place in the care-taker's appartments in the nursing-homes, and were analyzed with a phenomenological approach.
The result of the study is described in four themes: to need help, to accept a necessary change, the need to be somebody in the new home and the need of community.
The essence, i.e. the deepest meaning of the examined phenomenon is loneliness in the community. One aspect of the loneliness is losses of next-of-kins. Due to deteriorations of sight and hearing, enfeebleness and mental confusion in the care-takers and the other residents of the nursing-home, they have diffuculties in getting new relations. Another aspect is that the caregivers due to a heavy work load have little time to keep the care-takers company and thus ease their loneliness. The care-takers don't want to complain, even though they only get their physical needs fulfilled, such as personal hygiene, cleaning and medical care.