A Patients' Record Office in a Mental Hospital Occupational Programme

Extract

The rehabilitation of disabled mental hospital in-patients depends on changing the structure of the hospital itself. Remunerative and realistic employment plays an important part in this respect. Not only does it provide greater emotional satisfaction to the patients, it also enhances their status by changing their role from that of sick people to that of trainees in more normal habits of living and work. It is difficult to create an occupational programme which employs the large population of a hospital according to the patients' varying disabilities, inclinations and needs. It is unsatisfactory to provide occupation only for a small proportion of patients or for those who are easier to resettle. All patients (even those who do not appear disabled) need occupation designed to prevent incapacitating disabilities or to reduce their handicaps.