Pathways to a mainstream nursing home: a survey of Chinese, Greek and Anglo Australians

A survey of the family carers of 21 Chinese, 26 Greek and 25 Anglo Australian nursing home residents compared their aged relatives' pathways to a mainstream nursing home. The Greek aged were older and more dependent at placement while the Chinese were relatively young. Communities differed in terms of those involved in the decision making process, family reactions to the decision, reasons for selection of a home and use of services prior to placement. Community similarities included the types of event which precipitated placement, the categories of people initiating discussion of placement and the aged people's reactions to the decision.