Experience of Cognitively Intact Residents Cohabitating with Residents with Dementia in Long-Term Care Facilities

Abstract

A qualitative research approach was used to explore the life experience of cognitively intact (CI) residents cohabitating with residents with dementia in mixed placement facilities. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 21 CI residents from 6 long-term care facilities in southern Taiwan. Using a semi-structured interview guide, data were analyzed by content analysis. Two themes emerged: emotional diversity and coping. Emotional diversity described the wide range of responses, both positive and negative, expressed by the participants. Coping referred to the CI residents' ability to adapt to behaviors exhibited by the residents with dementia and the environment. Results of this study provide nurses and other health care providers with an understanding of the life experience of CI residents who live among residents with dementia. An understanding can lead to improved quality of life and positive social interactions among CI residents and those with dementia.