Making the Decision to Move to a Nursing Home: Longitudinal Evidence From the Health and Retirement Study

Abstract

This study applied the theory of planned behavior to examine predictors of U.S. older adults’ (65+ years) intention and behavior of moving to a nursing home. Two waves of Health and Retirement Study data were used ( N = 9,969). Moving intention was measured by respondents’ self-reported probability to move in the next 5 years in Wave 1. Moving behavior was measured by whether they actually moved in Wave 2. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationships of demographic and health predictors with moving intention and behavior. For both genders, advanced age, poorer health, having fewer children, and long-term care insurance were associated with higher levels of moving intention and behavior. Men’s intention was a significant predictor of subsequent moving behavior. However, women’s intention was not associated with moving behavior, probably due to inadequate resources to support their preference. The findings provide meaningful personhood-centered insights into nursing home entry decisions.