DISCUSSION Female 7

The role of the group home would seem to be to Size of home:

accommodate people who cannot live without some 3 places 3
support and supervision, but who can care for their 4 places 4
own basic needs and interact successfully with the 5 places 4
community at large, so that they do not need the 6 places 3
shelter of the typical hostel or hospital. In the past 7 places 1
it has been a problem to find suitable accommodation 10 places 1
for such people but group homes may now fill the (Average size of home = 5 places)
gap. Especially will this be so if group homes in *Two local authorities each run two homes and
future relax some of the admission criteria employed another has five.
by the group homes of the present survey. Most of **Two subnormality hospitals with two homes each.
the existing group homes would not accept residents References:
over retirement age, or residents not either at work Barnes, R . Helping institutionalised patients back
or attending a Training Centre or similar establish- to life outside the hospital. Community Medicine.
ment during the week; yet group homes for 20th Oct., 1972, pp. 566-567.
ex-psychiatric patients accommodate such residents Capstick, N., and Kirby, J. A group home project.
without any undue trouble (e.g. Fox, 1966; Payne, Lancet, 5th Sept., 1970, pp. 516-518.
apxit.). There seems no prior reason why group Fox, R. A home of their own. Mental Health,
homes for the mentally handicapped, despite their Winter, 1966, p. 46.
different category of client, should not accommodate Fox, R., and Adams, A. C. The Phoenix group
such people as well. homes. British Hospital Journal and Social Service
Also in contrast to group homes for the ex- Review, 14th June, 1968, pp. 1094-1096.
psychiatric patient is the fact that all 16 group homes Jacklin, J. The residential group. In Social Work
of the present survey were single-sex establishments. with Groups in Essex. County Council of Essex
At least one mixed-sex group home for mentally Health Dept., 1969.
handicapped adults is however due to open late in Payne, J. Of fixed abode. Mind and Mental Health
1973 and various of the agencies surveyed reported Magazine, Autumn, 1971, pp. 10-15.
contemplating mixed-sex group homes for the mentally
handicapped. A further point of difference between
group homes for the ex-psychiatric patient and group
homes for the mentally handicapped is the far greater
degree of support and supervision provided for the
latter. Residents in group homes for the ex-psychiatric
Readers’ Letters
Sir,-I read with interest Miss Hodgetts’ recent
patient for example are described as living “entirely letter to Apex, because my experience supports fully
independently except for a visit every week or so the points she raised.
from a social worker” (Jacklin, 1969, p.3). In none From over 800 beds in 1969 this hospital has reduced
of the group homes for the mentally handicapped of to about 600. The present distribution of intelligence
Table 1 did residents live as independently as this. quotients in this group of patients is as follows:-
Possibly the mentally handicapped can never attain
such independence, but the possibility also exists that Number Number
the mentally handicapped are being over-protected in Male Female Total
the group home situation. Borderline 70-85 3 5 8
There is a danger of shielding the individual too Mild 55-70 22 32 54
greatly in all provision for the mentally handicapped. Moderate 40-55 67 108 175
On the argument that the mentally handicapped Severe 25-40 106 75 181
Profound Under 25 106 76 182
should be allowed and encouraged to develop their __ __ __
potential to the full, it is against their own best 304 296 600
interests and stunting their potential development for - __ -
them to be in an environment that is more supportive
and protective than in fact they need. The number of patients with potential for discharge
TABLE 1 is now relatively few, as those in the borderline and
INFORMATION ON 16 GROUP HOMES FOR mild categories, who remain in hospital have mental
illness or physical infirmity in addition to mental
MENTALLY HANDICAPPED ADULTS IN handicap.
ENGLAND AND WALES AS A T JANUARY 1973.
No. of homes In theory, some of the moderately retarded group
Location: who are continent, ambulant and with no behaviour
disorders could leave hospital if suitable sheltered
England 8 accommodation were available, but this could be the
Wales 8 equivalent of transferring a few villas out of the
Years in operation: hospital into the general community where the
1 year 2 residents could be more isolated than they are in the
1-2 years 6 hospital.
3-4 years 3
5-6 years 5 Of the remaining population, 363 out of 600 have
Agency providing and running home: intelligence quotients below 40 and the training and
Local authority 11* occupation of this group presents an enormous
Subnormality hospital 4** challenge to all who work with them.
Voluntary society 1 D. A. Spencer,
Sex of residents: Physician Superintendent,
Male 9 Meanwood Park Hospital, Leeds, LS6 4QB.

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