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.