An exploration of the link between residents’ demands and caregivers’ well-being: Evidence from the long-term healthcare industry

This study examines the extent to which important personal characteristics of nursing home residents affect the well-being of caregivers, as reflected in their levels of work-related positive and negative affect. To do this, we applied the Job Demands-Resources model to the analysis of caregivers' work-related well-being by focusing on residents' residual cognitive capacity and their perceived adequacy of resources. A multiple regression analysis was carried out based on combined data from a sample of 1080 caregivers and 290 residents from 13 nursing homes in Italy. Predictors of caregivers' positive and negative well-being included job characteristics such as workload and social support. As expected, residents' perceived adequacy of resources was positively related to caregivers' well-being positive affect. Unexpectedly, residents' residual cognitive capacity was associated with higher rather than lower levels of caregivers' well-being negative affect. The quality of the interaction between residents and caregivers in nursing homes is contingent on their respective expectations and capabilities, and reciprocal perceptions of the outputs exchanged.