Placement of adult retardates from state institutions in community care facilities

Abstract

Results of a study evaluating the success of transfers of adult retardates from state institutions to public and private nursing homes indicate that most of the retardates adjusted well to the change, responded to program activities available in the nursing homes and nearby communities, and were visited more often by friends and relatives. Operators of the nursing homes, their staffs, the retardates, their families, and the other residents and their families accepted the placement program. By supporting social functioning at a lesser level of intervention than state institutions, nursing homes allow for greater exercise of even limited independence.

The elderly mentally handicapped in hospital: a clinical study

“…O'Connor (1970) and Seltzer & Seltzer (1985) point to the problems of breaking up existing friendship groups in the process of de-institutionalisation and recommend that keeping established friendship groups together should be a priority in service planning. Many studies (Goldman, 1960;Mueller & Porter, 1969;Sayder & Wollner, 1974;Stotsky, 1967Stotsky, , 1970 have revealed the transitional shock experienced by the elderly mentally handicapped during the process of de-institutionalisation. On the other hand, other research (Mueller & Porter, 1969;Windle, 1962;Seltzer et al, 1982) suggests that older mentally handicapped persons tend to adjust better to the community than the younger mentally handicapped and that they mixed well with other residents in nursing homes.…”

“…Many studies (Goldman, 1960;Mueller & Porter, 1969;Sayder & Wollner, 1974;Stotsky, 1967Stotsky, , 1970 have revealed the transitional shock experienced by the elderly mentally handicapped during the process of de-institutionalisation. On the other hand, other research (Mueller & Porter, 1969;Windle, 1962;Seltzer et al, 1982) suggests that older mentally handicapped persons tend to adjust better to the community than the younger mentally handicapped and that they mixed well with other residents in nursing homes. Talkington & Chiovaro (1969) were able to successfully place 27 of 105 elderly mentally handicapped residents in the community following a specially designed rehabilitation programme.…”

Ageing and Mental Retardation — A New Challenge

“…For historical reasons some of the elderly mentally handicapped are in hospital. They tend to be of relatively high ability and there is limited research suggesting that such individuals may be integrated into pre-existing residential provision for the elderly in the community (Mueller & Porter 1969). The findings in the South West, however, suggest that there is an emerging group of older handicapped people, who have lived at home, with a wider range of dependency.…”