How do Older Adults Experience Transition from Hospital and Adaptation to being Cared for at Home in Saudi Arabia?

As global ageing accelerates and healthcare systems confront rising hospitalisation and readmission rates among adults aged 65 and older (WHO, 2021), the need for effective transitional care has become increasingly urgent. However, existing theories in gerontology and transitional care are predominantly shaped by Western perspectives, offering limited insight into how such care is understood and delivered in non-Western societies. This study addresses that gap by using Charmaz’s Constructivist Grounded Theory methodology to explore older adult transition care in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected through in depth, semi-structured interviews with thirty participants: twenty older adults (ten hospitalised and ten recently discharged), five family caregivers, and five nurses. A grounded theory was developed through iterative coding, constant comparative analysis and memo writing, culminating in the formulation of the Rebuilding and Reconnecting theory of older adult transition.This theory offers a culturally embedded, cyclical model of care transition in which older adults move between hospital and home. It challenges linear or unidirectional understandings of recovery by identifying four interrelated support systems, Faith, Family, Friends, and Formal care (the 4Fs) as central to sustaining or disrupting successful transitions. The theory places emphasis on relational engagement, spiritual meaning making, and cultural context as essential components of the care experience