The Experiences of Older People Living in Nursing Homes: the Theory of "Exchange Dyads"

Objective: To study the life experiences and the process of social adaptation of older people living in nursing homes. Method: A qualitative study based on the procedures of grounded theory. The locations were in the 6 nursing homes in a region of the countryside of Cordoba in southern Spain. The participants were 16 residents of these centers. The collection of information has been carried through in-depth interviews. Results: The main category emerging from the data is called "Exchange Dyads Theory": within nursing homes an exchange situation is established. In this one, the older person yields all or part of a series of qualities, obtaining in return other qualities that are typical of this kind of institution. These qualities that are exchanged can be organize in the form of dyads, being the most important the assignment of decision-making power for obtaining a more optimal safety conditions, dyad through which even can explain the process of admission to the institution.