THURSDAY, MAY 2, 1985
11
NO DANGER SEEN FROM HALF-WAY HOUSES
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PATIENTS IN HALF-WAY HOUSES ARE NOT DANGEROUS, THEY ARE MENTALLY STABLE AND NO LONGER IN NEED OF HOSPITAL CARE, THE COMMISSIONER FOR REHABILITATION, MR MARTIN LEWIS, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).
SPEAKING AT THE LUNCHEON MEETING OF Y'S MEN'S CLUB, MR LEWIS SAID, +ONLY PATIENTS REFERRED BY A TEAM OF PSYCHIATRISTS, PSYCHOLOGISTS, SOCIAL WORKERS AND NURSES, WHO ARE CONSIDERED ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM THE FACILITIES OFFERED BY HALF-WAY HOUSES, ARE ADMITTED.+
+
THERE WERE NINE HALF-WAY HOUSES AT PRESENT, AND 20 MORE WERE BEING PLANNED FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS, AND DURING 20 YEARS OF OPERATION THERE HAD NEVER BEEN ANY PROBLEM OR INCIDENT IN THOSE HALF-WAY HOUSES, HE SAID.
HE EXPLAINED THAT HALF-WAY HOUSES WERE STAGING POSTS FOR CURED EX-MENTALLY ILL PATIENTS TO READAPT TO LIFE IN THE COMMUNITY AFTER A STAY IN HOSPITAL.
+SOME PATIENTS RETURN STRAIGHT HOME AFTER. TREATMENT AND LEAD A NORMAL LIFE. OTHERS, HOWEVER, EITHER DO NOT HAVE A SUPPORTIVE FAMILY OR REQUIRE A PERIOD OF MORE INTENSIVE SOCIAL REHABILITATION TO HELP THEM MAKE RE-ADJUSTMENT TO LIFE, IN A HEALTHY AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT, WHERE THEY MUST BEGIN AGAIN TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEMSELVES, AND BE ABLE TO LIVE WITH OTHER PEOPLE, HE SAI..
MR LEWIS POINTED OUT THAT THE AIM OF REHABILITATION THESE DAYS WAS TO REINTEGRATE DISABLED PERSONS INTO THE COMMUNITY AND MAKE THEM USEFUL MEMBERS OF SOCIETY,
+GONE ARE THE DAYS WHEN THE EX-MENTALLY ILL WERE BANISHED FROM SOCIETY TO SOME REMOTE ISLAND, HE SAID.
THIS WAS WHY HALF-WAY HOUSES WERE USUALLY LOCATED IN A HOUSING ESTATE TYPE ENVIRONMENT, WHICH MOST PEOPLE WERE USED TO, HE EXPLAINED.
MR LEWIS STRESSED THAT PATIENTS IN HALF-WAY HOUSES WERE WELL CARED FOR, BUT PLANS WERE VERY ADVANCED FOR IMPROVING THE STAFFING STANDARDS OF HALF-WAY HOUSES, THE EFFECT OF WHICH WOULD BE TO ENABLE RESIDENTS TO RETURN TO NORMAL LIFE MORE QUICKLY.
/GREATER EMPHASIS