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mental health

home could not manage her behaviour,
and that there were no alternative Key points
community mental health support services.
She was effectively abandoned by social ● ●Awareness of the mental health needs of people with learning disabilities needs
care services, and we were left as a family to be increased
to support her, while at the same time ● ●Timely access to specialist community mental health services for people with
trying to access specialist help. learning disabilities is vital
During the hospital stay, she was in a ● ●Unfamiliar environments and settings can delay recovery
distressed and agitated state, and ● ●Delays in discharge planning can exacerbate mental health problems
repeatedly tried to leave the ward. Ward ● ●Supported residential living can be a positive option for people with learning
staff were extremely supportive, but it disabilities
was the wrong environment for my sister ● ●Assistive technology is not a simple alternative to human contact
to be in. My sisters and I stayed with her
for the four days she was there, sleeping
in a chair by her bedside overnight. the hospital and staff were completely
unfamiliar and the unit was 50 miles away “
Her recovery has been
A better place but still detained from her home. I visited once or twice a
Eventually, with the support of a specialist week, which constituted a round journey slow. She had lost trust
learning disability liaison nurse, my sister of 270 miles. I have horrible memories of in everyone and believed
was assessed and sectioned to a specialist my sister shouting my name each time I she would be taken back
NHS learning disability assessment and left because she wanted to leave with me.
treatment unit. It was clear that the unfamiliar to the hospital
We were enormously relieved that she environment and my sister’s deep wish to ”
was at last in an appropriate NHS setting go home were hampering her recovery. In
– we felt fortunate that a bed was September, with the hope that her she would be taken back to the hospital
available (one of only eight on the unit). recovery would be hastened in her own unit. She spent a lot of time in bed.
However, it was very frightening to environment, the psychiatrist proposed Initially, her care staff expected her to
know that she was being detained. She that section 17 leave should be used to present as she had done previously – it
was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress enable my sister to go home, with support took them time to learn that my sister’s
disorder and depression on admission. from the specialist community mental recovery needed to happen at her pace
We were very impressed by the way the health team and ongoing support from and in her way.
team on the unit supported her from the the clinical team. Last week, I attended her first review in
start. Their professional training and My sister was told at multidisciplinary her new property where she has been
understanding of learning disabilities and team meetings in September and October promised a home for life. She shares a
mental health ensured the care and that she would be going home. house with two other people with
treatment she received was appropriate. 24-hour staff support, including sleep-ins.
They demonstrated a strong Delayed return My sister is making a slow, steady
commitment to working in a person- Despite these promises, the discharge recovery. Since discharge, she has
centred way, with an emphasis on building process was frustratingly prolonged and received excellent community-based
supportive relationships. Section 17 leave delayed: first, by disagreements around support, including from a psychologist
was agreed so that we could take my who would fund the section 17 leave; and who is helping her manage anxious
sister out of the hospital on visits. The then by a devastating last-minute decision memories and worries about returning to
ward manager arranged for a nurse who by the providers. The local authority the unit.
used British Sign Language to visit her wrote to us to say that she could not People with learning disabilities states
The Transforming Care strategy for
return home because the providers
regularly to support her communication.
“ We were relieved she thought it would be best for her to wait that hospitals are not homes, and that
for them to secure a new property, as her
people need the right support and
opportunities to recover in their
home was being decommissioned.
own communities.
They said that my sister would need to
was in an appropriate
For my sister, residential care is a
NHS setting but it was stay in hospital until the new property positive choice – it provides her with
was ready (potentially 3-4 months from
then). This suggestion went completely
familiar staff who are giving her the
frightening to know she
We were also reassured that the ” against the professional multidisciplinary emotional security, support and
was being detained
opportunity to continue her recovery.
team’s care and treatment plans.
Experiencing the sectioning of my sister
At that point, I contacted a specialist
was very frightening. As a social work
solicitor to act on my sister’s behalf and
own home until the new property had
policy that allowed me to advocate for her
psychiatrist responsible for her ensured support her right to return to live in her academic, I have knowledge of the law and
the community multidisciplinary team been purchased. This is what she said she to some extent. Many people with learning
were planning towards going home from wanted to do. disabilities who are sectioned will not
the time she was admitted. At the end of November, my sister have relatives who feel able to challenge
It was a very traumatic time, however, eventually returned home. Her recovery poor decision making. This increases the
as my sister was very unwell. She did not has been slow. She had lost trust in risk of decisions being made that are
understand why she could not go home, everyone and, for a long time, believed harmful and undermine recovery. n
www.cl-initiatives.co.uk Community Living Vol 32 No 4 | Summer 2019 11