Table 3.

Evidence of residents “coming together and pulling apart” based on physical conditions

Physical status	Coming together	Pulling apart
Vision impairments	Helping residents with visual impairments by: giving verbal directions; offering assistance reading; orienting tablemates with their place setting; and assisting with proper lighting. Sharing of spectacles among residents of similar visual abilities. Joking about vision impairments.	Becoming frustrated with one’s own vision loss and limiting social interaction. Becoming frustrated with those who have poor vision.
Mobility-related problems	Helping residents with mobility- related problems use their assistive devices. Exchanging information related to mobility-related problems and their treatments among residents of similar functional levels. Joking about mobility related shared experiences such as, referring to their walkers by the names of luxury cars. Discussing the mobility related improvement in function of the other residents and hence providing them with the topic of discussion.	Residents with mobility problems, particularly those who used assistive devices, choosing to opt out of outings and activities which otherwise would be opportunities for social connections with co-residents. Lacking patience with less mobile residents when these residents blocked their way with their wheelchairs and walkers. Harming others (unintentionally) with assistive devices such as wheelchairs. Using canes as weapons, which others found upsetting.
Painful conditions	Sympathizing and showing concern for those with painful conditions. Giving advice about dealing with painful conditions. Talking about painful conditions. Joking and laughing about their painful conditions. Helping those in pain conditions by giving them analgesics. Providing emotional support.	Resisting participation in group activities, including meals and preferring to spend time alone in their rooms among those in pain.
Hearing impairments	Residents with hearing impairments seeking help from those with good hearing, especially during activities such as watching movies Joking about hearing impairments, particularly when hearing impaired residents misinterpret entire conversations.	1. Residents trying to have conversations with those with considerable hearing loss, being frustrated from repeating themselves. 2. Complaining about others’ hearing impairments. 3. Socially excluding and avoiding those with hearing impairments in group conversations. 3. Many residents with hearing impairments did not enjoyed being yelled at, which further prevented communication and opportunities for social connections and contacts among residents.
Speech impairments	No instances of coming together	Residents being unable to understand residents with speech impairment and ending conversations altogether. Residents with speech impairment ending conversations due to the frustration of repeating themselves.