Adjustment to Congregate Living Environments: Older Adults and Privacy Regulation

The privacy needs of older adults were investigated in relation to older adults' adjustment to congregate living environments, as were the ways in which older adults regulate their privacy via environmental and behavioral mechanisms. Structured interviews were conducted with 71 adults residing in assisted living and independent living settings. Results revealed that older adults in these two settings differed in their use of environmental and behavioral mechanisms when regulating their privacy in these living spaces. Independent living residents achieved more privacy than assisted living residents. Older adults who felt crowded reported lower personal and overall adjustment than older adults whose achieved privacy level was greater than desired, or than those whose privacy level was optimized. It is suggested that in addition to facility policy and staff protocols, space planning and the manipulation of design elements may decrease perceived crowding and increase adjustment to the living environments.

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