asked the Minister for Health the provisions which are envisaged for the care of adult mentally handicapped within the context of the community services.
Written Answers. - Mental Handicap Services.
131.
The main principle underlying the provision of mental handicap services is to ensure that people with a mental handicap, both adults and children, should enjoy life that is as normal as possible in close association with their families and friends. The services which are provided for adults and which are being further developed are aimed at supporting this principle. These services include: Continuing Assessment Services; Day Care Units; Vocational and Long-term Training Centres; Residential Services.
Residential services include a number of different levels of residential care, ranging from unsupervised domestic scale houses with as few as three or four persons to institutions providing centralised services for persons with severe levels of handicap.
I have recently set up a consultative group to help me develop guidelines for the mental handicap services. This group will report to me after consultations with persons and organisations providing services for mentally handicapped people.