ABSTRACT
This paper describes a supported lodgings scheme as an alternative to group homes. It is pointed out that the County Council has a statutory duty to finance supported lodgings and that schizophrenics are ideally suited to such a scheme. Some short-stay, the majority of the 'new' non-demented long-stay, and a large number of the 'old' long-stay patients have been discharged by this means. After-care facilities were important, as nearly half attended the day centre and over one third were regularly visited in their lodgings by the community psychiatric nurses and social workers.
Subject(s)
Community Mental Health Services , Mental Disorders/rehabilitation , Residential Facilities , Aftercare/methods , Aged , England , Female , Humans , Length of Stay , Male , Middle Aged , Patient DischargeABSTRACT
During a ten year study, 10% of patients at a general hospital in-patient unit had unsolved diagnostic problems at the time of discharge from hospital. These 132 cases were designated 'uncertain' and were followed up. Eighty-three patients were ultimately diagnosed, and 300 consecutive in-patients discharged from the same unit with a definite diagnosis were also studied. The clinical features and diagnoses of the two groups were compared. Special features associated with uncertainty were: a presenting complaint of pain; apathy without apparent mental or physical cause; hallucinosis or major paranoid symptoms without other good evidence of psychosis. Age was found to be relevant; compared with patients receiving confident diagnoses, those with uncertain diagnosis due to depressive psychosis were more often younger, while those due to neurosis or personality disorder tended to be older. Atypical psychotic depression was the condition most commonly associated with diagnostic doubt.
