Life in the community: four years after the closure of an institution

Life experiences of 18 people 4 years after deinstitutionalization were examined. The ecological approach included observation in people's homes, interviews with the 18 individuals and people in their social networks, and a survey of other service providers. Because this research was a follow-up to an earlier study of the process of closing an institution, the findings are particularly significant for future institution closures and individual planning practices. Three major implications were noted: (a) the need to treat deinstitutionalization as a process; (b) the need to pursue alternatives to the 4- or 5-bed group home, which currently dominates community residential services; and (c) the need for community-based support services to develop new, more effective approaches to community integration.