Table 4.

Select Study Characteristics

Research Domain	Description
Research Team and Reflexivity
Characteristics	Diverse in age, race, gender, and background, our nineteen-member research team included undergraduate and graduate students, full-time research associates, a postdoctoral fellow, and faculty researchers. Researchers had training in gerontology, anthropology, sociology, psychology, nursing, exercise science, human services, and social work. Each member has training in qualitative methods and on conducting research with persons with dementia, their care partners, and in assisted living.
Participant-Researcher Relationships	Four teams of researchers collected data over a one-year period in each study site. During this time, researchers visited the communities, built rapport, and encountered residents and care partners on an ongoing basis and familiarized potential and actual participants to the study’s purpose and procedures on an ongoing basis, collected data through participant observations, conversations in the field, and interviews. We engaged in member-checking on an ongoing basis (see below).
Study Design Features
Methodological Orientation	This research was informed by Corbin & Strauss’ (2015) interpretive grounded theory methods whereby the researchers engage with and interpret the data; prior knowledge can be used to sensitize the research, including data collection and analyses (see Sebastian, 2019).
Interview Details	Most interviews were conducted face-to-face in one sitting. Interviews averaged over one hour in length. A few interviews took place over the phone and in multiple sittings. With one exception, a family member who did not wish to be recorded, interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. As appropriate, resident interviews focused on their interests, daily life, support needs, preferences, and support networks. The content of care partner interviews depended on their care roles. Family member interviews, for instance, inquired about resident’s: history, relationships, perceived interests and abilities, daily life in assisted living, and engagement patterns. Meanwhile, assisted living staff interviews focused on patterns of daily life, activity programing, family involvement, and overall engagement patterns.
Analysis
Derivations of Themes	We began coding as we were collecting data and developed codes from our aims, existing literature, and our ongoing observations. This process was iterative and involved the creation and refinement of codes based on their fit with the data. The team engaged in individual and collective data coding activities and discussions that resulted in consensus on themes, their meanings, and relationships to one another.
Participant Checking	During our one-year data collection period, we made routine visits to the study communities and routinely encountered participants and stakeholders. During these interactions, we sought feedback on our analysis and findings.