ABSTRACT
Communication is always bound by the context within which the interaction transpires. The context frames the communicative event and often can be the single best explanation of the communication. This chapter concentrates upon a truly unique environment rich in communicative phenomena: the nursing home. Our purpose is to describe the nursing home environment and to discuss what we know about the communication that transpires within the context of the nursing home. Specifically, we concentrate on the communication and the effects of that communication within three types of relationships occurring within the nursing home: the resident—resident relationship, the resident—family relationship, and the resident—staff relationship. The chapter concludes with possible implications that can be drawn from the existing literature and offers suggestions to communication scholars who wish to research the nursing home environment.
