Family attitudes to deinstitutionalisation: changes during and after reform years in a Scandinavian country.
BACKGROUND
Research shows that many families initially oppose relocation from institutions to community care, but also that a majority change their mind after resettlement. The paper addresses the question of whether this post-resettlement preference for community services is only short-term or likely to last. METHOD; Data were gathered at three points in time on people resettling from institutions in Norway: before resettlement (1989/90), shortly after resettlement (1994/95), and about ten years after resettlement (2001). Participants in 1989/90 and 1994/95 were identical (N = 222, aged 18-67 in 1989). The 2001 sample was different (N = 176, aged 20-67). Data gathering consisted of interviews with staff and a postal questionnaire to families.


RESULTS
In 1989/90, only 17% of families preferred community care, while in 1994/95 and 2001 respectively, 73% and 76% of families preferred community care.


CONCLUSIONS
The preference for community care appears not to be short-term. The question of empowerment/choice associated with the pattern of change from before to after resettlement is briefly discussed.
Tøssebro
Jan
J
Department of Social Work and Health Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. jant@svt.ntnu.no
Lundeby
Hege
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001290:Attitude; D003688:Deinstitutionalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D018166:Health Care Reform; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012537:Scandinavian and Nordic Countries