The decision to enter long-term care is a major life event for older people. It is usually made at a time of crisis and vulnerability, and there is often pressure to make the decision quickly. How the decision is made may affect older people's adjustment to residential care and quality of life, along with those of their carers or family. There are a number of ways that health professionals provide support to older people making this decision. These include a thorough assessment of their needs, provision of adequate information, counselling, providing choices, and the facilitation and timing of the decision-making process.
The review authors could not find any studies that adequately assessed these interventions. This means that there needs to be more studies, not necessarily that the interventions are not helpful.
Older people who were not able to make decisions due to medical conditions were excluded from the review.