The Royal opened a one-of-a kind patient apartment on the Schizophrenia unit to help patients transition back to the community.
Schizophrenia is a complex mental illness that affects how a person thinks, feels, behaves, and relates to others. Individuals are often faced with cognitive impairment and severe negative symptoms. These factors can significantly impair an individual's ability to function in the community.
Once a patient has completed their inpatient program and are ready to transition back into the community, the process may be difficult. Discharge planning is often quite challenging as the inpatient team is faced with navigating if, where, and when the individual can be appropriately placed and supported in the community.
For patients in The Royal’s 40-bed inpatient schizophrenia unit, the new creation of the two-bedroom apartment, complete with a living room, dining room, and kitchen, helps alleviate some of the stress of transitioning from a hospital environment to independent living. In addition, the patient apartment allows staff to evaluate the patient’s comfort level and confidence in an independent setting, prior to discharge.
Funding for this patient apartment was supported in part with a donation from Black & McDonald.