Becoming "at home" in assisted living residences: Exploring place integration processes

Objectives. This study explores the roles of place attachment, nonfamily social involvement, place valuation, and individual characteristics in the process of becoming at home in assisted living residences. Methods. Purposive sampling and cross-sectional data by means of a questionnaire completed by current assisted living residents in four states (N = 297) were used to estimate a structural equation model to explain becoming at home. Results. Place attachment to town and community is a necessary but not sufficient explainer of older adults' process of becoming at home. Nonfamily social involvement plays a pivotal role through which place attachment works to explain becoming at home. Both place valuation and nonfamily social involvement exhibit direct positive effects on the outcome. Discussion. Findings support a transactional interpretation of assisted living as home. The relationship between place attachment to one's community and full integration into assisted living is more complex than currently acknowledged.