A capabilities approach to environmental impact on nursing home resident quality of life

Abstract

Nursing homes are the major provider of intermediate and long-term care outside of the hospital setting to individuals whose capacity for self-care is limited due to physical or cognitive impairments. Yet, despite their need for assistance, residents of nursing homes want to control their lives, set their routines, and do enjoyable things. The extent to which residents can maintain autonomy and dignity is important. The current study suggests an environmental gerontological framework, rooted in a capabilities approach, that can be used to consider environmental impact on quality of life in nursing homes. Using a cross-sectional survey of nursing home residents in Texas, environmental factors that might predict residents’ quality of life as well as possible interactions of environmental factors and residents’ characteristics that might predict well-being were examined. Environmental orientation and perception of social activities were important predictors of residents’ quality of life, but geographic location and facility size were not important predictors.