Mental Health Section 3

[Boisdeslandes]

My son is on a section 2 which is about to run out and they want to put him on a section 3 but he doesnt want that and I as his nearest relative have the right to stop it happeniong but I don.t know what to do? Really worried if he goes onto Section 3 he will be in hospital for a long time and that that will make his mental health even worse. ny advice?

[lcg]

you still need him to be as right as possible if you are his sole carer - in hospital, there are many looking after his care needs. i couldn't cope with my husband (even as a psych nurse - and I really felt I failed him) - but getting sectioned in hospital was the wake up call he needed and now he takes his meds like a good boy; attends appointments and therapy etc., whereas he didn't before and was chaos on legs. when your son has recovered, he will not blame you for this admission. you have to be tough on him and tell him it is down to his behaviour, illness and his management of it that is at fault - he is 20 and adult enough to take responsibility, mental illness or not.

i have psychotic depression and know the consequences of not taking meds ; drinking loads; smoking dope or no getting any sleep etc. there is usually a reason people get unwell (triggers) and he needs to sort these out in order to remain well. if he is still struggling with his diagnosis and/or angry about what is happening to him, this will take some time. he does need to work at things, though, and engage with mental health workers properly when he is discharged - you need to make that a rule if he is going to continue living with you. he needs to hear this and manage the illness....not the other way round. i still work full time, care for my hubby and i have also got a 19 yr old son to contend with. it works for me because i look after myself, do the things i want to do and don't care if people have an issue with me being unwell. you can just get on with life if you want to.....and you may have to try and help your son find his path through life, feeling ok about who he is even if he has an illness. take care x

[pizza]

lcg you are truly an inspiration to many x and Boisdeslandes how old is your son if you don't mind me asking and do you get support from his Mum and other family members?

[pizza]

Sorry I missed your sons age as being 20 so he has the rest of his life to appreciate what you are doing in his best interests x

[Boisdeslandes]

Oh god I am getting more confused?! Just spoke to Nurse in charge of his ward and she says he is good today and she thinks that he is getting better on a daily basis? She suggested that I persuade him to remain in hospital on a voluntary basis but the MHP has just told me he cant remain where he is on a voluntary basis and they dont have a ned for him at the local hospital the saga just goes on! Apparently a social worker is going to ring me back to discuss further. I really do believe he is nearly ready to come home but not quite if that makes sense and I think the nursing staff are saying that to me as well. However I know he will not deal with being put on the section 3 well even if I apply to get him discharged quickly after by giving the hospital 72 hours notice of my request for his discharge!

[lcg]

the only place a person can't be in hospital voluntarily is a low, medium or high security unit - in your son's case, is he on a picu (psych intensive care unit)? if so, he should progress to an acute ward from there and start taking independent leave etc. BEFORE being considered for release. if he hasn't been on leave and done his daily living activities away from the hospital at all, then they shouldn't be discharging him. social workers are full of Sugar and do not know anything about what actually goes on in a hospital - they just admit people. don't listen to anything they say and stand your ground. for heaven's sake, he has just been assessed for further sectioning and now they want to discharge him? that is irresponsible at best and tragic for your son as he will be failed by the hospital if they let him go......i would call the ward back up and in the nicest possible way say that you are not having your son back at the moment, he needs to progress from a section 3 to informal and then work towards going home and being independent. anything else is just utterly rubbish work by the staff involved and most probably the dept. that deals with finding beds for people. complain to the modern matron of the place where your son is, now. take care x

[lcg]

and do not discharge him - make him do the work and get towards discharge by himself. he must take responsibility for his own life and care needs! you want him to be as independent as possible x

[anneasquith]

i do feel so sorry for this OP, what a dreadful position they are in. icg, great advice.

[lcg]

thanks anne, pizza x

[Boisdeslandes]

Think it is about beds. Yes he is in PICU and has not been on any kind of home leave. I asked about him remaining he was voluntarly or coming back to the local hospital on a voluntary basis. The MHP said he cant stay in PICU if not sectioned and thate local hospital dont feel it is appropriate for him to move to them as that would be his 5th move from being sectioned! I would really like him to stay where he is for a bit longer but I think the issue is his home funder wont pay for him to be in an out of area hospital if not sectioned! Whatever happened to patient needs! Thanks for all the advice, info and support.

[lcg]

he can stay in a picu temporarily as an informal patient (technically); but it is viewed as very bad practice. your son should not, under any circumstances, leave a picu and go home. he needs to be transferred to an acute ward (under section 3 as he has been assessed - so there is very likely the need for the section to remain as they do not assess williy nilly); begin to start having independent leave (no more than an hour a day to start with); begin to do daily activities himself away from the ward (to show he is capable and safe to do things by himself); and ONLY then look at home leave; before considering overnight stays or anything. if your son is offered any type of care other than these stages, he is not being treated properly according to the Mental Health Act (1983) Guidelines and probably your local health authority policy. you need to tell the hospital managers/modern matron that you will only have your son back home or participate in his discharge plan if the above things do not take place. you can always remind them that if you refuse to have him home full stop that they will have a legal duty to house him and he will end up being in hospital for a lot longer as a delayed discharge. i always advise relatives that managers/bed departments are trying to push out of hospital to use these tactics to assure that their relative/loved one is actually treated properly and not let go far too early (while they are still very unwell) and more likely to relapse. the more your son relapses and the longer it takes to treat episodes of illness, the poorer his long term prognosis will be. i'm not trying to scare you, but give you the facts. fight the uncaring and unproper treatment he is getting and use the above tactics. i will keep a eye on your post and advise you as best i can. keep fighting your son's corner.....it's clear he has a loving, caring and strong mum. take care, lisa x

[lcg]

are you his only social support if he is an out of area patient? if so, they should consider having him in that area until he is better as you can help and support him. it doesn't matter how many times he has been admitted (although they should look at his history; behaviours and recovery pattern to formulate his care) that is irrelevant. you can always say he is planning to move in with you and that way he has to be close in order to go on leave with etc. but he must have a pattern of the least restrictive care according to his clinical needs. discharging him from a picu to home with no leave or life practice is just not right. you should also say to them that they should be concentating less on money and more on his recovery....or they are simply not doing their jobs x

[Boisdeslandes]

Thank you for the advise. I have asked for him to be moved closer to home but as yet got no straightforward answer. My son has been told he will be given a decision as to whether he can come home today so no doubt he will be devastated when told he cant. I really dont think I could cope with him on my own and so am taking your advise and going to say no to him coming home. Thanks

[anneasquith]

good luck for today^s decision bois. ♥

[lcg]

he wilol be upset that he can't come home today, but it is not the sensible route to take to his recovery and good health. again, i cannot express the improtance of you m,aking it clear to your son that it is up to him to do the work to get better and released from hospital and that you are doing things 'properly' this time - once and for all. he is 20 and has a good chance of straightenening his life out if he has a prolonged hospital stay (as set out above) so you both clearly know what is happenening and who is doing what. him relying on 'good old mum' to pull him out of the mess he has gotten himself into is not the answer, and it never will be. as for the hospital, you also need to make it clear to them that you will not be trodden all over and pick the slack up from them. without you in the picture, they never would release your son (as he would be deemed to high a risk to take) and should treat him accordingly anyway. i wish you and your son the best and will continue to monitor the thread.....if you need anything, just ask. lisa x

[Boisdeslandes]

Oh well they let him out or more accurately he convinced them he would remain as a voluntary patient if they moved him back to the hospital near home! and what a nightmare it is. don't know where to go from here? he is clearly unwell and unstable. His sleep patterns are non existant and so his meds are not being taken at the right time and so his is becoming more unstable?! He needs sto be in hospital I cant cope! what a crazy messed up system we have for people that are mentally ill!