SURVEY RESPONSE OF OLD-PEOPLE LIVING IN R ESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITIES WITH SPECIAL REGARD TO REFUSAL - AN INVESTIGATION WITH DATA FROM THE ALTENHEIMSURVEY

This article analyses the survey response of old people living in resi dential care facilities. Its major concerns are the percentages of dro pouts in interviews with old people living in residential care, the ra nk order of the motives for these dropouts and the comparison with the elderly living in private households. Theories of refusal are discuss ed for people living in residential care. The data base for the analys is was obtained from the Altenheimsurvey (AHS), a representative surve y on older people living in residential care facilities. Data were col lected between August 1995 and March 1996 in Germany. While in general population surveys the major motives for dropout is the refusal, the following results indicate that the major motive for dropout in the AH S is the inability to participate followed by refusal and noncontact. People living in residential care facilities in Western Germany refuse more often than those living in Eastern Germany.