WHY ALERT RESIDENTS ARE MORE-OR-LESS WILLING TO COHABIT WITH COGNITIVELY IMPAIRED PEERS - AN EXPLORATORY MODEL

This study tested a model of the willingness of alert residents to coh abit with cognitively impaired peers in nursing homes. A systematic sa mple of 435 alert residents living on mixed care units selected in 19 nursing homes were interviewed. Four factors were of particular influe nce on the willingness to cohabit: alert residents' negative emotional reactions to living with the cognitively impaired, their knowledge of confusion, disturbance generated by dysfunctional behaviors, and bene fits of cohabitation for the cognitively impaired as perceived by aler t residents.