Abstract:

In a contribution to the continuity theory of aging, ethnographic data obtained 1981-1984 are used to examine the disjunction between the therapeutically structured environment of a suburban Copenhagen (Denmark) nursing home, & the attempts of some of its elderly women residents to maintain cultural & personal continuity after institutionalization. It is shown that the organizational structure of this nursing home did not build on residents' earlier life patterns. An argument is developed for developing culturally appropriate services for elderly from ethnically diverse backgrounds. Findings suggest that the lives of institutionalized elderly can be enhanced by structuring physical space & social opportunities in ways that facilitate cultural connections between pre- & postinstitutionalization lives.