An Investigation of characteristics related to elderly nursing home residents' participation in proposed research

The general problem involves a shortage of research studies on the institutionalized elderly. The purpose of this study was to determine which characteristics of elderly nursing home residents influence their participation in proposed research. Additionally, the researcher investigated the question: Does the complexity of a research consent form affect the participation rate of elderly nursing home residents in proposed research?

A total of 66 elderly subjects from two nursing homes participated in this study. Eligible subjects were initially identified by using a mental status test to screen out individuals with moderate to severe intellectual impairment. The eligible subjects were divided into two equal groups, one to receive a simple consent form and the other to receive a complex consent form. A comprehension test was immediately administered after collecting the consent form.

The researcher hypothesized that elderly nursing home residents who received a simple consent form would agree to participate in proposed research in greater numbers than those who received a complex consent form. With the results obtained from data collection, the researcher rejected this hypothesis. In fact, for reasons undetected by this study, the elderly subjects signed the complex consent form in significantly greater numbers than they did the simple consent form. Recommendations for future research are offered.