Coping with nursing home placement of a parent.

This article describes an educational program that can be used by health professionals to help family members work through emotional distress associated with nursing home placement. The program of preplacement education presented here does not address the issues and stressors surrounding the decision-making process. The Coping with Nursing Home Placement program is designed to be used after the decision has been made to place a parent in the nursing home. Home health nurses know only too well that once a family makes the decision to seek placement, the wait for a bed can be lengthy.