Exploring "home" through residents' lenses: assisted living facility residents identify homelike characteristics using photovoice.
An increasing number of older adults are moving into assisted living facilities when living independently becomes difficult. These facilities afford older adults a home-like environment with opportunities for social activity and a minimal level of professional care, although relocation can negatively impact well-being. Because it is important to study home environments of aging adults, 10 residents of an assisted living facility were engaged in Photovoice to explore perceptions of the facility as home. Through photographic expression, residents identified environment enhancements for  home  at an assisted living facility. Findings of this study have implications for program planning at long-term care facilities.
School of Social Work, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA. tlewinson@gsu.edu
Terri
T
Lewinson
Vanessa
V
Robinson-Dooley
Kathryn W
KW
Grant
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D040561:Assisted Living Facilities / Q000592:standards*; D056348:Emotional Intelligence; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006272:Health Facility Environment; D006707:Homes for the Aged / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000592:standards*; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000523:psychology*; D010465:Perception; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012931:Social Environment