The elderly in a mental subnormality hospital: A comparison with the elderly psychiatric patient

Summary Approximately 6 % of the patients in a mental subnormality hospital were over the age of 65, in contrast to 61 % of patients in a psychiatric hospital. The mean time spent in institutional care was 46.4 years for the mentally handicapped individuals. The level of self care of the mentally handicapped patients was generally better than that of the psychiatric patients. 39 % of the mentally subnormal showed psychiatric symptoms when assessed by a standard interview and 42 % did not appear to be in need of hospital care.