Adjustment to community residential settings among severely and chronically mentally ill older adults

Little is known about the impact of deinstitutionalization on severely and chronically mentally ill older adults. The primary purpose of this study was to describe the adjustment process of 33 adults, aged 65 years and over, with severe and chronic psychiatric disorders, who were transferred from a psychiatric hospital to community housing facilities between 1995 and 1998. Data was collected at five periods in times, twice prior to discharge and three times following relocation. Global functioning, social behaviors, functioning in activities of daily living, cognitive status, perceived quality of life, housing conditions and rehospitalizations rates were assessed. Results showed that participants remained stable over time in general functioning, regardless of baseline functioning. Only five subjects were readmitted for short hospitalizations. Eighty-nine percent preferred to live in the community. Relocating these participants to a smaller supervised community facility did not lead to significant deterioration in their functioning and improved their quality of life