Milieu change and relocation adjustment in elders

Relocation is a major life event for elders and has been found to adversely affect their adjustment and ability to perform daily activities. Rosenbaum's theory of learned resourcefulness suggests that such adverse effects can be minimized if elders have positive cognitions and are resourceful. A cross-sectional design was used to examine the hypothesized relationships among the study variables in a sample of 104 cognitively unimpaired elders (aged 65+ years) who have relocated to retirement communities in Northeast Ohio. Results indicate that positive cognitions had a direct positive effect on learned resourcefulness and on relocation adjustment. Furthermore, learned resourcefulness had a moderating effect on the relationship between relocation controllability and relocation adjustment when controlling for covariates. It is imperative to generate interventions to enhance positive thinking and learned resourcefulness for elders facing the need to relocate and to create the therapeutic milieu within the retirement communities.