Instruments were developed to measure common, recurring positive and negative situations, termed gerontological uplifts and hassles, that influence the well being of long term care residents. The sample consisted of 281 male residents from nine Department of Veteran's Affairs nursing home care units who were 60 years of age or older, and functionally able to participate and give informed consent.

An initial pool of 70 items (minor life events), representative of six intercorrelated dimensions of well-being, was reduced to two 10-item scales. Coefficient alpha for the scales was.68 and.73, respectively. Each scale was composed of three factors. The factors in the Gerontological Uplift Scale were labelled social/control, interpersonal relationships, and environmental support. Gerontological Hassle Scale factors were dependency, interpersonal relationships/control, and congruence/continuity.

Further evidence to infer construct validity was collected by examining the relationships among minor life events, and personological and environmental antecedents of the minor life events and well-being. Age, education, and length of stay information was gathered. The personality traits, extraversion and neuroticism, were assessed using the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI-Q). Well-being was determined from responses to the Bradburn Affect Balance Scale. Data were analyzed using Pearson's product moment correlations, and multiple regression analyses.

A statistically significant inverse relationship was found between: (1) gerontological uplift and hassle frequency scores; (2) gerontological uplift and hassle intensity scores, and (3) the frequency times intensity crossproduct scores of the two scales. Both gerontological uplifts and hassles made a unique contribution to variance in well-being, but the contribution of uplifts was greater. Neither resident education nor length of stay was related to appraisal of minor life events. Gerontological uplifts were inversely associated with age, but gerontological hassles and age were uncorrelated.

This study resulted in Gerontological Uplift and Hassle Scales with one 5-item, one 3-item, and one 2-item factor each. The addition of psychometrically and ecologically sound items may improve reliability and validity.