Extended-Care Patients Intensive Treatment:
Early Diversion and Rehabilitation Stepping-Stone (EXITERS) Project
Introduction
With the advance in technology, most patients with severe mental illness can nowadays be controlled by medication, and treated in the form of out-patient or day-patient care. However, there still exists a group of patients who required longer stay in psychiatric hospital for whatever reasons.
HA has implemented a pilot project namely, EXITERS, in 2002-03 to facilitate this group of patients to integrate into the community and lead an independent life.
Patient Selection
- Extended care patients with length of stay from 1/2 to 2 years.
- Who do not need structured supervision but with residential need.
- Who can be trainable to independent living and accept after care support.
- Patient to be excluded: patients with drug addiction (except alcoholics), mental retardation (moderate or below) or dementia.
Key features
- Supported group homes are converted from vacant hospital quarters to home like settings.
- Suitable patients in psychiatric hospital are selected for admission into the group home and given an opportunity to adapt to independent living and prepare them for early integration into the community.
- Intensive treatment program including symptom self-management, medication management, meal preparation, money management, usage of existing community facilities and individual daytime program are tailor-made to patient to develop basic skill in leading an independent life.
- Community support will be provided by community psychiatric nurse in the initial three months for patients discharged from hostel.
Service Target
The pilot project will last for five years and has been implemented in Castle Peak Hospital, Kwai Chung Hospital and Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital and plans to start with a patient intake of 100 in 2002-03, increasing to 125 in 2003-04 and to 150 per year from 2004-05 on wards. An evaluation of the EXITERS project will be conducted some time in 2006 to assess its effectiveness.
PMH Block N quarter 1st to 9th floor is selected to carry out EXITERS project in Kwai Chung Hospital. 1st floor will be the EXITERS office and resource center and 2nd to 4th floor will be renovated to home-like hostel in the initial stage to provide non-restrictive environment for patients to train up their independent living skill.
