Perceptions of change, advantage and quality of life for people with intellectual disability who left a long stay institution to live in the community

In 1988 the New Zealand government contracted a community-based not for profit agency to provide residential, employment and family support services for 61 people with intellectual disability living in a psychiatric hospital. These people, on average, had been living within the hospital for 22 years. Nine years following the move, 54 of the original 61 people were located in community residential homes. Interviews were conducted with staff and family members to ascertain their perceptions of the effect of the move. Nine of the 54 people who moved had sufficient language to provide information on the outcomes of the transition for them personally. Overall, all informants regarded the move as positive. They reported improvements in daily living skills, social skills and quality of life. The retrospective nature of the study is recognised as a limiting factor in the design. Implications of the findings for future research and further understanding of the effects of deinstitutionalisation are identified.