Not an ordinary life

Abstract

In this country, and elsewhere, there has been a marked shift towards community care and away from institutional care for people with mental handicaps as well as those who are mentally ill. Many aspects of these changes are promising for the people concerned, but the transition also involves some difficulties and challenges for them as well as for health and social services. The article presents one man's experience of life in hospital and discusses the need to ensure that adequate support services are provided for people like him, to maintain them satisfactorily in their new way of life.