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Adjustment to senior housing entails significant lifestyle changes and is a stressful process. The adaptation process is dynamic and has yet to be studied using the conceptual model of allostasis. This article presents exemplars of women whose profiles represent three allostatic states: successful adaptation (homeostasis), ongoing adaptation (allostasis), and maladaptation (allostatic load). Coping abilities, perceptions of stressors, and cortisol measures provide a detailed picture of the interplay among events and perceptions and the effects of both on well-being. The case exemplars provide detailed information on the complexity of psychosocial and physiological components of the model of allostasis. This study also fills a gap in knowledge on negative relocation outcomes using the allostatic model.

Biological Research for Nursing, 16(2). doi: 10.1177/109980041274682