A qualitative analysis of the presence of sense of community, perceived social support, and social participation behaviors in small, rural assisted living facilities

In order to successfully adapt to the new home environment of an assisted living facility, an elderly person must develop an understanding of the physical environment of the facility while seeking to discover her "place" in the existing social structure of the home. This usually is accomplished over a period of time through introductions to other residents and care staff and through participation in group activities. The ensuing relationship between the individual and the social structure is characterized as a psychological sense of community (Chavis, Hogge, McMillan, & Wandersman, 1986). As sense of community grows, the individual is more apt to interact with others, and increased social participation may lead to an increased level of perceived social support (Cohen, Gottlieb, & Underwood, 2000).;Studies on the socialization of the elderly in residential care facilities are readily available; however, sense of community has yet to be studied in a specialized care facility for the elderly. This longitudinal study examined qualitative data for themes related to perceived social support, social participation behaviors, and the development and maintenance of a sense of community among the staff and residents of three small assisted living facilities in the rural South.;The findings indicated that evidence for the four components of sense of community---membership, influence, reinforcement, and emotional connections---existed in each of the facilities studied. However, the social and environmental contexts supporting sense of community was different in each community. Elements of membership, influence, reinforcement, and emotional connections co-occurred in each of the homes. Further, the concepts of emotional connections and perceived social support overlapped, possibly due to the focus on care in each of the homes. Although their roles pertaining to the development and maintenance of sense of community are not clear, the presence of demented residents and marginalized members in each of the homes was raised as a potential subject for further investigation. As such, this study confirms the existence of sense of community in a longitudinal, context-rich examination of sense of community among members of small assisted living facilities in rural settings.