The TAPS project. 27: After hospital: Pathways patients follow in the community

Abstract

As part of TAPS (Team for the Assessment of Psychiatric Services) outcome study of the reprovision of a hospital long-stay population, pathways followed in the community by 281 patients over five years are described. It was found that 60% of the patients stayed in their original placement - m ostly group homes - over the period of follow-up. Transition from one house to another mostly took a direct course, with only 11 patients changing houses by way of long intermediate hospitalisation. Change of residence was usually confined to the same managing organisation and at the same level of support. Only six patients could not be followed up and have possibly become vagrants. It is concluded that community residences established under the reprovision programme served as relatively stable homes for the majority of patients.