Life after hospital: trials of a boarding house 'mother'.
What is life like for the many psychiatric patients discharged from hospital to boarding houses? The 'mother' of a Sydney boarding house describes how her 'family' has taken root, grown, developed and made a stable home. Many behaviours not tolerated in the community (e.g. public masturbation) are acceptable in the home but there are limits and rules (e.g. not in the dining room). A good home needs the responsible person to be open, honest, understanding and sensitive to changes in guests. Psychiatric services and welfare agencies need to recognise the major contributions of well-run boarding houses and need to liaise more with the proprietors.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003688:Deinstitutionalization; D005260:Female; D005581:Foster Home Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008875:Middle Aged