It is, as Phred stated, uncommon for nursing homes to allow pets. Your Great Aunt was very lucky to find such a place. We could bring pets to *visit* my Great Aunt, and then my mom, when they were in the nursing home, but they couldn't have pets stay with them.

One of the saddest things was taking the Sheltie from my office to visit my Great Aunt's nursing home one day. He was terrified of everyone, scared of wheelchairs, and wouldn't go near any of the people who sooooo wanted to pet the cute little doggie ...

... until we got to Aunt Bertha, for whom he "sat" and "stayed" and was a "good boy" while I fetched something from her room for her. SHE could pet him, and he obeyed HER, he wouldn't go near anyone else!

It was quite traumatic for him (he's skittish anyway) and we never attempted a return visit.