Creating Capable Communities for People with Intellectual Disabilities: Challenges and Opportunities

ABSTRACT

Introduction

People with learning disabilities in the United Kingdom are being incarcerated in hospital settings due to lack of suitable community care and support. Factors influencing discharge from institutional/hospital care to enable successful community living have not been explored systematically.

Method

A systematic review using the PRISMA guidance identified studies via five electronic database searches of Medline, CINAHL, Embase, psychINFO, and Cochrane Library. A predesigned inclusion/exclusion criterion was applied to selected articles. A thematic analysis approach was used.

Results

Six qualitative and twelve quantitative articles were identified and divided into three broad themes of support, housing, and health. A further nineteen articles were identified as of peripheral interest.

Conclusion

Factors affording a successful transition from hospital/institution to community are discussed. Suitable standards of housing, staff support/training, and health-care access influence the success of sustainable repatriation. An evidence-based tool kit is proposed from available factors to enable safe, sustainable, and timely discharge.

KEYWORDS:

• Institutions
• hospitals
• challenging behavior
• behavioral health
• mental health
• social health

Disclosure statement

SL is supported by an unconditional research grant by NHS England. R Sharpe, RG & SH have no disclosures. R Shankar has received institutional and research support and personal fees from LivaNova, UCB, Eisai, Special Products and Desitin outside the submitted work.

Additional information

Funding

NHS England.