Room Arrangement and Social Cohesion in Senior Homes - A Study in China

Private rooms are widely preferred by residents in senior homes. However, having roommates may help them to maintain social networks, leading to promoted social cohesion and health. The differences in social cohesion among senior-home residents who reside in private or shared rooms need investigation. Focusing on social cohesion and room arrangement, on-site questionnaire surveys recruited 345 residents from eight senior homes in Beijing and Shanghai, China. Controlling for personal and facility factors, ANOVA tests were employed to investigate the differences in social cohesion among residents who resided in private or shared rooms. Room arrangement was found significant to social cohesion in assisted-living and nursing-care residents. At the assisted-living level, triple-room (room shared by three) residents had stronger social cohesion than private-room or double-room (room shared by two) residents (p ≤ 0.01). At the nursing-care level, residents with less roommates had stronger social cohesion (p ≤ 0.05). At the independent-living level, no factors significant to social cohesion was found. The influences of room arrangement on social cohesion vary by care level and facility. To promote social cohesion, triple rooms are suggested for assisted-living care whereas private rooms are more appropriate for nursing care. Senior-living rooms should be social-friendly through appropriate arrangement in cultural contexts.