ABSTRACT
This chapter starts with the poem “You lose everything”, which illustrates the sometimes challenging reality of entering aged care. For most people, the move into aged care is unplanned and feared. It is typically triggered by a stay in hospital after an illness or injury and then the usually unwelcome news that hospital staff believe they can no longer live independently. Downsizing from the family home into the small one-room typology that defines aged care is not an easy undertaking, and this chapter explores this process, describing the strong emotions, memories and vulnerabilities of residents and their families.
