title: Discharging older adults with a severe and chronic mental illness in the community.
abstract: In recent years, a deinstitutionalization movement has been occurring in Canadian psychiatric institutions. Occupational therapists, experts in evaluating occupational performance, are key contributors to the selection of appropriate community housing environments. This study describes the global functioning, performance in activities of daily living, social behavior, cognitive status, and quality of life of 33 older adults with a severe and chronic mental illness, who were transferred from a psychiatric hospital to community facilities between 1995 and 1998. Evaluations were repeated five times, twice before discharge and three times after the transfer. Participants demonstrated stability in their global, social and ADL functioning over time. In general, participants required occasional intervention for management of social behaviors, moderate assistance in activities of daily living, and were highly satisfied with their community accommodation. The transfer to community settings did not lead to a significant deterioration in the participants' levels of global functioning and quality of life.
authors.affiliation: School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Day Hospital of Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital, Montreal, QC. nadine.lariviere@mcgill.ca
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Larivière
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gélinas
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mazer
authors.forename: Beverlea
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tallant
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Paquette
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003071:Cognition; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003688:Deinstitutionalization; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D009788:Occupational Therapy; D010351:Patient Discharge; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D012919:Social Behavior