Psychiatric rehabilitation and community care: resettlement from a North Wales Hospital

The Health Services Research Unit, University College of North Wales, Bangor is evaluating the care provision and outcomes for a cohort of 63 long-stay psychiatric patients from the North Wales Hospital, Denbigh. Hospital closure is being phased in up to 1995 with reprovision of mental health services in the community. The paper reports on the care process in two specially designed community living schemes and assesses the outcomes for 34 patients from the cohort 12 months after discharge from hospital. The results show some positive outcomes with the majority resettled in well-resourced care settings. Levels of client dependency show significant improvement in these schemes, with increases in social activity, community skills and speech skills. The majority of clients have reacted well to changes in care provision and report a number of improvements in their quality of life. It is concluded that long-stay hospital clients need continuing high levels of support if care in community settings is to be successful.