This paper examines the role of ideology in the establishment of a new therapeutic community for geriatric patients in a state mental hospital. Contradictory role expectations, reflected both in staff-staff and in staff-patient relationships, interfered with the program's achieving its stated goals. In order to apply a humanistic approach to programs for elderly patients, realistic goals-encompassing the range of patient competence-must be set within a reasonable time framework, and the program must provide for an appropriate range of structure.
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