From Community to Hospital and Back Again: A History of Care

Before the early 19th century, people with learning disabilities were largely ignored in healthcare and medicine. Since practitioners were paid by results, care of those who were considered “incurable” was not a priority. So these people lived in, and relied on the support of, their communities. It was only with state medicine in the nineteenth century that efforts to care – and control – people considered disorderly and unmanageable began.

Using art, photos and archive material, Simon Jarrett explains how care for people with learning disabilities has shifted over time. Lynette Kennedy, clinical nurse specialist, will follow this with a reflection on community support for learning disability today.

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Image: Wellcome Collection