Factors influencing the perception of touch by elderly nursing home residents and their health caregivers.

The purpose of this study was to examine which factors influence the perceptions of touch by elderly nursing home residents and their health caregivers. A random sample of residents (n = 100) and a convenience sample of health caregivers (n = 100) were selected from two nursing homes. The five variables of interest were as follows: staff status; type of touch; area of the body touched; resident's locus of control; and resident's functional level. Vignettes were developed from combinations of variables which described a touch interaction between a resident and caregiver. To determine the main effects of the five variables of interest, fractional factorial analyses of variance were performed. Resident's locus of control appeared to be the most influential factor affecting residents' and caregivers' perceptions of touch. Touch was experienced as positive when it was appropriate to the situation, did not impose greater intimacy than desired, and did not impart a condescending message. Negative touch situations often involved some procedure used in a manner considered "intimate" or when discrepant with the needs of the individual. A conceptual model of interpersonal touch is described and recommendations for further study are discussed.