By Di King and Pam Tremlett
One of the guests associated with the Bill Crews foundation has a history of unresolved grief following the death of his partner a few years ago. He required an Admission to a mental health institution for several weeks and ongoing medication for depression.
Over the past month, around the anniversary of his partner’s death, he has self-medicated with alcohol and had also been taken off his antidepressant medication. After a week of self-medication, he called an ambulance and was taken to hospital where he spent some time in the emergency department.
After discharge, he lasted about two weeks before he again felt the need to self-medicate. After a few days, we had not heard from him and decided to do a welfare check. We found him staggering by the car carrying a four and a half litre cask of wine. If he had got back to his unit, he would not have answered the door. His clothing was dishevelled, the front of his t-shirt stained with red wine and some on his face, which is very unlike him.
He agreed to go to the hospital with us. He could barely walk and needed a wheelchair to get into the emergency department. He was admitted into a bed in the emergency department and, after an assessment, was promised a bed in the Mental Health unit.
A change of heart…
After a few hours, he was about to be transferred to that Mental Health bed when it was decided, due to his cardiac involvement, he needed further medical treatment. He was transferred to an acute bed for a coronary artery angiogram. He had to wait a couple of days for that to happen. Upon returning to the ward that evening, a doctor came in and said, “I will give you a Taxi fare home, or someone can pick you up in the morning by 9 am,” as they needed the bed.
In the morning, his unrelated next-of-kin contacted the ward and discussed the matter of his discharge with the Nurse unit manager, who realised he needed further investigation.
It was found that his blood levels were severely abnormal and he needed a blood transfusion. He was also found to have two gastric ulcers. Whilst these tests were being carried out, he was treated by the Mental Health team who continued to promise him a bed in the Mental Health area as soon as it was okayed by his medical team.
After he was cleared by the acute medical teams, he was promised the next available bed in the medical Mental Health unit. Even his attending Cardiologist said he needed a few weeks in the mental health unit.
The Mental Health team came late that afternoon and said he would be discharged in the morning. This required his next-of-kin to have a late-night shopping trip to Kmart to buy him new bedding.
His unrelated next-of-kin, one being 79 and the other being 81, fortunately had done a forensic clean of his unit, removing all signs of blood, alcohol and melena. However, they had not had time to complete the washing of his bed clothes.
The next morning, he was discharged and taken to his unit where he has stayed for the last week, absolutely overwhelmed and disappointed with the situation.
Upon discharge, he was given a couple of days of medication and told to see his doctor for a prescription and repeat medication. To my knowledge, this has not happened and there has been no follow-up of him.
The long wait for a bed
I would like to compare this with another person who is also a guest of the Bill Crews foundation. He had a fire in his unit block that affected his unit and caused him to have an acute mental health breakdown. He was transported, with a Police officer, to the emergency department and was admitted for several weeks to the mental health unit.
His unrelated next-of-kin cleaned his unit of all signs of the fire before being discharged. He was taken home to his unit by the social workers to reassure him that everything was alright and that the unit was fit for living.
However, in the past 12 months the same person has attended the emergency department more than once and needed a Mental Health bed, but was instead offered a recliner chair in the emergency department for three or four days. On the second occasion, he was offered a bed in the emergency department for three or four days and no Mental Health bed was available. After a few days on heavy medication, he got sick of waiting and discharged himself.
As the care is a long-term process, there is a much slower turnover. It is not fair for anyone when beds are promised and never eventuate.
The Mental Health system needs a total overhaul with more money for beds, staff and follow-up urgently.
This story was submitted via the Congregation of Kindness.
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