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mental health

system was not accessible to her, as it
relied on her being able to hear the staff
on the other end of the system.

Crisis
Because of the way her disabilities affect
her communication, she needs person-to-
person contact. This is especially
important if she is in crisis.
I told the service manager and
reviewing officer that I was seriously
concerned that if she remained distressed
by the withdrawal of sleep-in staff, her
mental health would deteriorate. It
seemed that because of her learning
disability she was being offered no choice
or control over the support she needed to
feel safe in her home.
“ She was abandoned

by social care services, and
we were left to support
her, while trying to access

Crisis and the long specialist help ”

journey back serious turn for the worse. Support staff
By May 2018, her mental health took a
told us that she was very confused – not
changing clothes, not sleeping and
packing bags when she was not going
anywhere. This was completely out of
character for my sister.
During a weekend visit to my house at
the time, I was shocked and very
concerned by the drastic changes in her
presentation and behaviour. She was
frequently tearful, and appeared very
When a support service was withdrawn for her sister, it was disconnected. She presented as flat,
catastrophic. Jane Lloyd describes how loss of control led to disoriented and anxious. She repeatedly
crisis and an arduous road to recovery asked me where she was going to sleep.
She communicated very little with us
– and hardly at all when we went out. She
year ago, my 55-year-old sister, We believe the antecedent to my has always been very gregarious in
who is deaf and has severe sister’s crisis began in November 2017, interacting with people. She appeared to
A learning disabilities, was detained when she was told that sleep-in staff have very little interest in connecting with
in hospital for six months under the would be withdrawn from the home us or people she met outside.
Mental Health Act. It was an incredibly where she had lived for 11 years. She Despite the seriousness of these
frightening time for her and our family. was shocked and very upset by the news, changes in her presentation, and us asking
I decided to write about my sister’s and confused as to why the support was for an urgent specialist assessment, care
mental health crisis because her experience being stopped. The care staff tried to providers and social care staff were slow
highlights the devastating emotional reassure her, but that did not help quell to respond.
impact of losing choice and control over her worries. Eventually she was admitted onto a
how care and support is provided. As an alternative to sleep-in staff, a general medical assessment ward in the
Her experiences also illustrate the many telecare alarm button system was local hospital to rule out any physical
challenges faced by people with learning installed in her bedroom that would give causes. These were ruled out within a day
disabilities when they develop serious her access to a staffed monitoring service. and the doctor informed us that she was
mental health problems. I have chosen She was told that she should use the ready for discharge.
not to share her identity or the services alarm if she needed help at night, once Her local authority reviewing officer,
involved as she is not able to fully the sleep-in staff had been withdrawn. however, informed us that she could not be
comprehend the implications of consenting. Given that my sister is deaf, the telecare discharged as care staff in the residential

10 Vol 32 No 4 | Summer 2019 Community Living www.cl-initiatives.co.uk