Translating the urban based national policy of eldercare to a rural context is seen as a key activity for rural policy actors since the fact that rural municipalities face different issues to urban areas is not reflected in the operational plans for eldercare. The aim of this article is to highlight the process by which urban based policies are enacted in rural municipalities by analysing how the home-care principle in eldercare policies is framed and implemented by different actors at various administrative levels in three rural municipalities. It becomes evident how the institutional position is crucial in the enactment process.