title: Longitudinal frequency and stability of family contact in institutional and community living.
abstract: We examined the frequency and stability of family contact with long-term institutional residents during a major deinstitutionalization project. Movers relocated to community accommodation between Assessments 1 (baseline) and 2. Stayers remained institutionalized. We investigated family contact longitudinally over four annual assessments. There was no significant between-group difference in frequency of family contact at baseline, but, subsequently, movers had more frequent family contact than did stayers. There was a significant decline over time in the proportion of stayers with family contact and a significant increase in movers with family contact, with a marked resumption of contact by movers during the first year of community living. Carefully supporting family (re)involvement during the relocation process may be associated with stable, long-term family contact.
authors.affiliation: roger.stancliffe@bigpond.com
authors.forename: Roger J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Stancliffe
authors.forename: K Charlie
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Lakin
mesh_terms: D003155:Community Mental Health Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003688:Deinstitutionalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D012114:Residential Treatment; D013997:Time Factors