Screaming in Nursing Home Residents

Abstract

This article reports the results of two studies of screaming in the nursing home. The first was a survey study of 408 nursing home residents, which revealed that 25% of the residents screamed at least four times a week. Screaming was associated with cognitive impairment, depressed affect, social networks of poor quality, and severe impairment in the performance of activities of daily living. The second study was an in-depth observational study of five residents who screamed frequently. Residents screamed more often when they were alone in their rooms during the evening hours, suggesting that screaming may arise as a response to social isolation.