Charles Esler spent more than 50 years living behind closed doors in a hospital despite not suffering from any serious illness.
Charles, who has a mild learning disability and epilepsy, was first admitted to hospital when he was 10 years old.
He told the BBC that He had spent “too many birthdays” in hospitals and that he did not like being locked up, without freedom.
His sister Margo says she fought to get Charles moved to a place where he could be independent and last year, at 62, the man finally got the keys to his own apartment for the first time.
“His family struggled for years to find him a suitable place,” said David Fleming, of the charity Richmond Fellowship Scotland.
“Unfortunately, some people get caught up in the system.”
A BBC Scotland investigation found that hundreds of people with learning disabilities are still stuck in hospitals or living hundreds of miles from their families.
This is despite decades of government policies that made clear that everyone should leave long-stay institutions and move into their own homes.
Two and a half years ago, The Scottish Government has promised to move “the majority” of people into their own homes by March 2024..
However, new figures obtained by the BBC show that the number of those hospitalized has increased.
A request for information to authorities under the Freedom of Information Act found the number of people with learning disabilities in hospital has risen from 173 to 191 since last year.
The general figures of the new national registry, which includes people who are far from homea, increased by 12%, from 1,243 to 1,398.
Charles’ carers say his case shows that everyone can be supported to live in the community.
Fleming said: “He was amazing during his transition and now he is thriving and very independent.”
Charles, who grew up in Glasgow, says: “Now I can go out and go places, go to the little pub down the street and have lunch there.”
“I like fish and chips. I feel very good. “I had never had freedom before.”
He says he loves sitting in his own living room and watching James Bond movies. He is learning to cook, garden and clean for himself.
His sister Margo McKeever says who fought for years to get his brother his own house.
“Don’t think this is a fairy tale story,” he said.
“This was not an overnight process. Many people have participated and it has taken almost 14 years to find the right place.
“Everyone should have someone who can make sure they don’t treat you just like a number.”
Fraser Malcolm has lived in hospital for more than three years despite agreeing he is ready to leave.
The 20-year-old, from North Ayrshire, Scotland, has speech problems and complex needs, but before going to hospital his parents say he lived a full life.
He attended a special school, sailed regularly and went on vacation with his family and helped his father renovate a sailboat.
His parents said his biggest mistake was “asking for help.”
Fraser’s mother, Karen, says her son has gone downhill since being in the hospital and that the fear of being strapped down in the hospital “is eroding the person he once was.”
She adds that she feels “totally outraged” that the number of people with learning disabilities has increased since ministers promised to get people home.
“It has been a hard blow for our family and many other families I am now in contact with”, said. “We feel undermined.”
Fraser’s family have prepared a specially designed room for him and want him to come home, but they say he has deteriorated so much in hospital that he is afraid to leave his room.
Like many families, They have had difficulty finding a suitable care package and accepting the transition from hospital.
A spokesperson for North Ayrshire Community Health and Social Care Authority says it would continue to work with Fraser and his family to achieve his discharge from hospital.
“There are ongoing challenges locally and across Scotland in the capacity, availability and range of community care options for people with complex support needs,” he stated.
Separate Freedom of Information requests made by BBC Scotland to all health boards in the country found that more than 120 people with learning disabilities had been in hospital for more than a year.
This includes 28 who have been hospitalized for more than 10 years and four who have been in the hospital for more than 20 years.
Two years ago the BBC discovered people with learning disabilities were trapped in hospital.
Among the young people who were found, including Fraser Malcolm, all are still trapped living behind closed doors in hospitals.
Kyle Gibbon is now 37 years old and has lived at Carstairs, the State Hospital, for 15 years.
Jamie is 26 years old and still lives at Woodlands View Hospital in Ayrshire and Arran. He has been there since he was 19 and is registered as a delayed discharge.
Louis Sainsbury is thriving at his Perthshire home after years in hospital.
Thousands of people with learning disabilities lived in long-stay hospitals before the 1990s, when he remembered that it was inhuman.
The Scottish Government published a report in 2000 which established the right of all people with learning difficulties to live in their own homes and communities.
Experts say it is absolutely possible that everyone can live in their own home with the right support.
Dr Sam Smith, director of C-Change Scotland, an organization which helps disabled people live at home, says: “We closed down long-term hospital stays more than 20 years ago in the belief that we knew people could live in community.”
The Scottish government says it has worked with local authorities to create a national register of people with learning disabilities in hospitals and hundreds of miles from home and has provided £20 million ($25 million) in funding to help move people to their own homes.
Social Care Minister Maree Todd told BBC Scotland: “We are absolutely determined to move forward on this issue. But as this information shows, it is difficult to solve“.
“The legal responsibility lies with the local authorities and I am working very closely with the local authorities to try to improve the situation.”
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