Psychoneurological boarding school
A psychoneurological boarding school (abbreviated: PNI; Russian Психоневрологический интернат, ПНИ) is a socio-medical facility in the Russian Federation for the permanent or temporary accommodation of persons in need of care and persons with disabilities who suffer from chronic mental disorders . The stay in a PNI encompasses all areas of life: medical treatment, nursing, social care, catering as well as work and leisure activities.
history
The first PNIs were established in the USSR for people with severe mental and neurological disorders (such as schizophrenia , Down's syndrome , infantile cerebral palsy ). The emergence of the first PNIs goes back to a decree of Stalin from the 1940s, according to which people with physical and psychological impairments should be excluded from public life and banned. In the 1950s and 1960s, nursing and old people's homes were rededicated as PNIs. The reason for this was the increased number of cases of mental illness - among other things as a result of the Second World War . Placement in a PNI was often a means of “eliminating” social problems through marginalization and exclusion.
statistics
In 2019 there were around 650 PNIs in the Russian Federation that housed 155,157 patients. The majority of these patients (112,157) are officially incapacitated.
In 2003 , more than half of the patients (68.9%) were people with intellectual disabilities ( intellectual disabilities and various forms of dementia ). The cognitive impairment of children who are referred to PNIs from care facilities is usually less due to an actual intellectual disability than to neglect, inadequate educational and upbringing measures and a lack of rehabilitation offers.
Everyday design
The main task of PNIs is to accommodate the patients and to organize their everyday life. The duration of accommodation is usually at least 15–20 years. In fact, there are seldom layoffs. As a result, the PNI can be seen as a hybrid between hospital and dormitory.
The living conditions in PNIs are characterized by monotony and a lack of leisure activities. In many boarding schools eight to ten people live in one room, with an average of only 4–5 m² of living space available to each patient.
Patient rights
Numerous publications point out that there are massive violations of civil rights in PNIs and that many patients have to go about their daily lives under extremely adverse conditions. While government controls are often inadequate, there is virtually no control by civil society organizations.
Reform of the psychoneurological boarding schools
A reform of the psychoneurological boarding schools was initiated in 2016. This consists of four main areas: “Creating comfortable living conditions in PNIs; Protecting and upholding the rights of people with mental disorders; Establishing minimum standards for rehabilitation programs, social employment opportunities and assisted living; Guaranteeing the right to education for people with intellectual disabilities. "
The information in this article is taken from the entry on the Russian Wikipedia "Психоневрологический интернат".