Community Care and the Mentally Handicapped

Based on mothers’ experiences and accounts, Community Care and the Mentally Handicapped (originally published in 1984) explores the daily challenges of caring for a severely disabled child at home.

Having recognised the limitations of institutional care, the authors examine the needs and experiences of families from the initial discovery of intellectual disability in their child through practical care within the family, informal community support, and the role of formal services.

By looking at the policies and services of the time and their shortcomings, the authors conclude that there was a great need for developing support networks for disabled children and their mothers. To improve the quality of care, greater assistance from both informal self-help groups and formal agencies was essential.

This book, based on the shared problems, experiences, and resources of mothers from the North Humberside area, documents the realities of daily family care of intellectually disabled children. For those concerned with meeting the needs of these children, the accounts of their mothers provide invaluable perspectives.