- 15 35.
Patients' food is another aspect of their living conditions which is of particular concern to the CPT.
Food must be not only adequate from the standpoints of quantity and quality, but also provided to patients
under satisfactory conditions. The necessary equipment should exist enabling food to be served at the correct
temperature. Further, eating arrangements should be decent; in this regard it should be stressed that enabling
patients to accomplish acts of daily life - such as eating with proper utensils whilst seated at a table - represents
an integral part of programmes for the psycho-social rehabilitation of patients. Similarly, food presentation is a
factor which should not be overlooked.
The particular needs of disabled persons in relation to catering arrangements should also be taken into
account.
36.
The CPT also wishes to make clear its support for the trend observed in several countries towards the
closure of large-capacity dormitories in psychiatric establishments; such facilities are scarcely compatible with
the norms of modern psychiatry. Provision of accommodation structures based on small groups is a crucial
factor in preserving/restoring patients' dignity, and also a key element of any policy for the psychological and
social rehabilitation of patients. Structures of this type also facilitate the allocation of patients to relevant
categories for therapeutic purposes.
Similarly, the CPT favours the approach increasingly being adopted of allowing patients who so wish
to have access to their room during the day, rather than being obliged to remain assembled together with other
patients in communal areas.
treatment
37.
Psychiatric treatment should be based on an individualised approach, which implies the drawing up of
a treatment plan for each patient. It should involve a wide range of rehabilitative and therapeutic activities,
including access to occupational therapy, group therapy, individual psychotherapy, art, drama, music and
sports. Patients should have regular access to suitably-equipped recreation rooms and have the possibility to
take outdoor exercise on a daily basis; it is also desirable for them to be offered education and suitable work.
The CPT all too often finds that these fundamental components of effective psycho-social rehabilitative
treatment are underdeveloped or even totally lacking, and that the treatment provided to patients consists
essentially of pharmacotherapy. This situation can be the result of the absence of suitably qualified staff and
appropriate facilities or of a lingering philosophy based on the custody of patients.
38.
Of course, psychopharmacologic medication often forms a necessary part of the treatment given to
patients with mental disorders. Procedures must be in place to ensure that medication prescribed is in fact
provided, and that a regular supply of appropriate medicines is guaranteed. The CPT will also be on the lookout for any indications of the misuse of medication.
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