A PRISON AND A NURSING-HOME - ANY SIMILARITIES

Although diversity exists between a prison and a nursing home, there a re similarities. In both institutions, the staff members who have the most contact with the population (guards and nurse's aides) had the le ast amount of professional training in mental health. Significantly, i n both institutions, prisoners and residents with whom I worked chose either to be a prisoner or to have a physical disability over mental i llness. Two other similarities occurred: food (negative evaluation) an d the importance of visitors.