Does hospital rundown affect long-stay clients?
In order to examine what happens to long-stay clients who remain in hospital, a retrospective analysis of annual surveys between 1984 and 1992 was undertaken. Data were derived from the REHAB scale, which provides measures of patient Total General Behaviour (TGB) and Deviant Behaviour (DB), together with data from the Supplementary Information Questionnaire (SIQ). Results indicate that skills and behaviour, as measured by TGB, do not deteriorate as a function of continuous length of stay or increasing age. However, TGB for certain clients is adversely affected by a reduction in the level of structured activity occurring during major episodes of contraction leading up to closure. In contrast, DB, which is relatively high for this group, fluctuates independently of rundown. The implications for hospital services in transition are discussed.
Dickinson
D
D
Psychology Department, Severalls Hospital, Colchester, Essex, UK.
Kruppa
E
E
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006754:Hospital Restructuring; D015285:Hospital-Patient Relations; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors