IDENTIFYING THE LIVING ARRANGEMENTS OF ELDERLY MARRIED-COUPLES IN LONG-TERM CARE INSTITUTIONS

The focus of this paper is on married couples and elderly married individuals in Homes for the Aged (HFA) and in Nursing Homes (NH) in Ontario. Data were collected from 331 administrators in 1988 and from 395 administrators in 1989, through mailed questionnaires. Findings showed that approximately 12 per cent of the beds in HFA and NH are occupied by married persons. Findings suggested that there are more elderly couples in the same room, as well as in separate quarters, in HFA than in NH. Findings also suggested that there are more married individuals living in NH than in HFA, whose spouses live elsewhere. Directions for further research are discussed.