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.
Keywords: caregivers’ well-being; job demands-resources model; long-term health care; nursing homes; residents’ demand.