Personal and environmental determinants of activity involvement among elderly residents of congregate facilities

This study examined the personal and environmental factors related to the activity involvement of older people living in congregate residential settings. A sample of 1,428 residents in 42 such settings provided information about their activities, functioning, and background. Measures of facility features were also available. These data show that individuals are more likely to participate in facility-organized activities in settings where overall resident participation is greater, the average functioning of residents is lower, staffing is higher, and the program more structured. Participation in facility activities is not related to personal characteristics. In contrast, involvement in resident-initiated activities, both in the facility and in the community, is related to personal characteristics (being functionally intact, female, and better educated) and to facility features (larger size, lower staffing, greater autonomy and cohesiveness). The impact of some features varies depending on the functional capacity of the individual resident.