© 1983 Faculty of Public Health Medicine of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom
research-article |
External contacts of residents in hospitals and hostels for mentally handicapped adults
Mary Dalgleish
Susan Barnes
Rowan Matthews
Department of Psychiatry, University of Sheffield Medical School
Department of Health and Social Security London
Mary Dalgleish, Department of Psychiatry, University of Sheffield Medical School, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2JF South Yorkshire
External contacts of mentally handicapped adults in 19 residential units were examined. Units included hospitals, Health Authority (HA) hostels and Local Authority (LA) hostels. Four types of contact were studied: a) formal group contacts such as open days and use of volunteers; b) formal individual contacts such as residents' place of day care; c) use of local amenities such as shops or churches and d) residents' personal contacts such as visits with family and friends. Formal group contacts were encouraged most in the hospitals but a greater proportion of hostel residents were involved in the other three types of contact. Residents' personal contacts seemed particularly low in all types of provision. Contacts may be increased by ensuring residential provision is separate from day (and other) facilities used solely by mentally handicapped people, choosing sites with good access to local amenities and developing local catchment areas for each unit.