24-Hour nursed care: Users' views

Thirty-three people who were judged by their clinicians to be in need of 24-hour nursed care were interviewed. The majority expressed a preference for independent living with some input from psychiatric staff. When presented with the features of 24-hour nursed care accommodation, some were willing to contemplate it. Users were positive about privacy in the accommodation but objected to those features which made the homes seem like an institution. It is argued that the group is not homogeneous in their responses to the government proposals and no single service model will be satisfactory to everyone.