[Assisted living for former long-term hospitalized psychiatric patients].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study is the evaluation of essential characteristics of patients who entered the sheltered group homes of the Psychosozialen Dienst (PSD) in the city of Vienna after the establishment of sectorized psychiatric out-patient care facilities.


METHODS
Eighty patients who lived in these group homes on the first key day, June 30th 1993, were investigated. Any change in their living situation and rate of hospitalization was ascertained at follow-up, 3.5 years after the first key day.


RESULTS
The patients had an average period of hospitalization of 240.5 days per year before entry to a group home, which decreased to 12.4 days per year after entry to a sheltered group home. At follow-up more than half of all patients (65%) were still able to live in the community successfully. The number and the length of hospitalizations between the first key day and the follow-up were lowest for patients who had moved to private homes.


CONCLUSIONS
Sheltered group homes play an essential role in the process of rehabilitation towards independent living within the community. The results demonstrate that rehabilitation in private apartments can be possible even after 5.7 years of residence in sheltered group homes.
Schmidl
F
F
Berghofer
G
G
Lang
A
A
Rudas
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001317:Austria; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003688:Deinstitutionalization; D005260:Female; D016352:Group Homes; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010359:Patient Readmission; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology