Tracking qualities of life during deinstitutionalization: A covariance study

Mathematical techniques were used to measure the impact of deinstitutionali zation on various measures of qualities of life. A covariance model was use d to control for the differences between those who moved to community setti ngs as a result of a court mediated settlement agreement, and those who sta yed in developmental centers. Those who moved were on average higher functi oning, with a lower degree of challenging behavior, enjoyed somewhat better general health, and were somewhat younger than those who stayed., Analysis of covariance is designed to correct for the influence of those four "cova riate" variables, so that it is possible to get a fair comparison of the cu rrent qualities of life of Movers and Stayers. Results showed that movers h ave many more opportunities for integration; have many more opportunities f or choicemaking and self-determination; have more hours of day activities; receive more services; are much more likely to actually be working on progr am goals; are much more likely to have made progress toward program goals; are rated as having considerably higher qualities of life across ten areas; have made much larger gains in qualities of life over the Past year; are l iving in homes of higher physical quality; are living in homes higher in qu alities related to normalization; have staff who like their jobs better; an d have staff who like working with them (the individuals) more than the Sta yers.