I used to do care for developmentally disabled people, and one of the clients my agency worked with was in a surviving mental institute in the late 90s. In some aspects, it was better than some of the stories might suggest. They got her on the right meds at the right dose, which let her regain independence with minimal support.

However, they did pull all her teeth upon admission because it was cheaper than fixing them. They issued her one pair of dentures, and failed to replace them when another patient broke them. One of the first things she did after getting out was to get new dentures, and she cried when she finally had teeth again and didn't need to be on a blended food diet any more.