Care in the Community: Five Years On

<p>How well does community care work for people with learning disabilities? Do people enjoy a good quality of life? Are they able to gain access to the services they need and are their preferences taken into account? How is community care coordinated at the area level and in relation to individual users? And what are the costs?

<p><p><p>These are among the questions addressed in this book. The authors conducted research which examined the lives of more than 200 people with learning disabilities who had left long-stay residence in hospital five years earlier. They were being supported in the community by local and health authorities, voluntary and private agencies and – in a few cases – by families and informal carers. Twelve areas of the country were covered by the study.

<p><p><p>Although there were significant improvements in quality of life between leaving hospital and after five years in the community, most of the changes had occurred in the first year after the move. People expressed greater satisfaction with their lives in the community, enjoyed wider social networks and were offered more choice. Not everyone was better off and no one had found employment. Some service gaps and inadequacies were clearly evident. Community care was more expansive than hospital.

<p><p><p><i>Care in the Community: Five Years On</i> describes these changes and their relevance for people with learning disabilities and their carers. It sets out the implications for local and health authorities, for central government and for others with a role to play in the support of people in community care.

<p><p><p>This is the third book in a series examining aspects of care in the community for former long-term hospital residents, following on from <i>Care in the Community: The First Steps</i> (1988) by Judy Renshaw et al. and <i>Care in the Community: Challenge and Demonstration</i> (1992) by Martin Knapp et al, both pub by Ashgate.

<p><p><p>Link to <a href=http://www.ashgate.com>Ashgate Publishing</a>