Negotiating transitions in later life: Married couples in assisted living

Although a minority in assisted living facilities (ALFs), couples do reside in these settings and the numbers are predicted to rise. Despite this prediction, little is known about these couples' experiences. Endeavoring to advance knowledge and inform policy and practice, this article presents an analysis of qualitative data from an exploratory study involving 20 married couples living in ALFs. Analysis considers couples' pathways and responses to assisted living. Findings show couples' pathways to ALFs typically involved a major health transition for one or both spouses and required enabling resources paired with the desire to remain together. For most, the need for relocation was asynchronous. Couples' ALF experiences were variable in terms of how spouses reported interacting with one another and how they interacted with others. A couple's degree of health synchronicity, level of disability, and previous social patterns influenced activity in ALFs. Implications for research, policy, and practice are discussed.