Privacy and solidarity: effects of nursing home accommodation on environmental perception and sociability preferences

This field study of nursing home accommodations examines the influence of type of living accommodation and personal characteristics upon environmental perception and interaction preferences with regard to privacy and sociability. Ward residents view their dwelling as less secure and feel less able to control social encounters occurring therein than do single room residents. In terms of preferences, however, it is the single room residents who express greater desires for isolation and disclosure restriction. These data and the absence of differences in resident satisfaction, are consistent with an adaptation model of privacy-sociability preference.