Deinstitutionalisation in Australia Part II: Results from a long-term study

As part of an institutional closure programme in Queensland, Australia, 104 individuals most with moderate and severe levels of intellectual disability, who had been institutionalised long-term, were relocated to community-based group homes. Each individual was assessed 6 months prior to the relocation and then again after 1, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months of community living. Assessments involved ratings of adaptive and maladaptive behaviour, choice-making and objective life quality. The group means comparing institution to community ratings showed improvements in adaptive functioning but no significant change in maladaptive behaviour. There were also improvements in objective life quality and increased opportunities for choice-making following relocation to the community. These outcomes suggest that relocation to the community was associated with a more active and normalised lifestyle