Ten years on: The outcomes and costs of community care following deinstitutionalization for people with intellectual disabilities in England

The present paper reports the methodology and findings of a 2-year collaborative study, led by the Tizard Centre, between the Universities of Kent and Durham, and the London School of Economics, and funded by the Department of Health. The research examined the outcomes and costs of community care for approximately 200 people with intellectual disabilities in 12 different services in England. Building on previous longitudinal evaluations at 1 (time 2) and 5 years (time 3) after discharge from a long-stay hospital, the paper reports 10-year (time 4) outcomes and costs, including different group characteristics, and their relationships withoutcomes and costs. The key trends in outcomes and costs between times 1, 2, 3 and 4, and the relationships between costs and outcomes over time are also reported. Important issues for the planning and development of intellectual disability services, such as ageing, changing needs, and residential outcomes and types, are included in the analysis, along with opportunities to compare different models of community care.