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Summary Follow-up of a large number of long-stay in-patients who were discharged because of local policy showed a high rate of readmission but also much subsequent re-discharge and low overall dependence on inpatient services. There was a high uptake of other forms of support, especially day care; and little evidence of further movement by the patients towards independence. The rate of mortality for the discharged patients was similar to that for the general population.
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Howat et al. (1982) studied this question.
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