Lead author and year | Location (country); dates of study | Aim | Study design | Description of study sample | Description of congregated setting | Description of community setting |
Beecham17 (1997) | Northern Ireland, 1990–1993 | To evaluate the effect on costs of discharging people with intellectual disabilities from long-stay hospitals to ‘community care’ | One cohort assessed prior to leaving hospital and 12 months after doing so | Adults with learning disabilities. Of 214 adults moving during study period, 22 were lost to follow-up leaving a sample of 192. 57% male* Median age 47 years* Median hospital stay prior to move 20 years* 7% low IQ score (<20), 52% medium IQ score (20–49), 33% high IQ score (50–69), and 8% not recorded* | Three learning disabilities hospitals and four psychiatric hospitals | Residential facilities provided by statutory bodies (=30) Residential facilities provided by voluntary bodies (=20) Residential and nursing homes from private bodies (=141) Independent living arrangements (=1). |
Hallam18 (2006) | England, 1984–1999 | Evaluation of ‘community care’ for people moving from learning disabilities hospitals | One cohort assessed prior to leaving hospital and at 1, 5 and 12 years postmove | Adults moving from learning disabilities hospitals. Of 397 recruited in hospital, 103 have cost data at all three outcome points. 47% male Mean age at move 44 Mean hospital length of stay premove 27 years | 12 long-stay hospitals across different regions | Residential/nursing home or hospice (=45)† Group home (=42)† Adult foster care or sheltered housing (=15)† Hospital (=1) Independent living (=0) |
*Data presented for 497 people moving 1987–1992; analytic cost sample of 192 are a subset of these for whom no specific data on characteristics are provided.
†All sample sizes for 12-year time point, some small divergence from these at 1 and 5 years. Categories grouped for this review according to number of residents: Residential/nursing home or hospice had six or more residents; Group homes had two to five residents; Adult foster care and sheltered housing do not specify sample size but are clients moving into established homes.