Mental health beds in sydney AUST

butterfly hearts · 01-05-2008, 02:12 AM

I just heard on the news that nurses are complaining that there is a lack of mental health beds for patients in a sydney hospital, so they are staying in A&E longer instead, and posing a risk to nurses.
I don't mind if they're only complaining for their own safety, i'm just always happy to hear any complaints/awarness of lack of MH beds!
I have been turned away and sent home severely suicidal on many occassions due to lack of beds.
YAY FOR COMPLAINING NURSES.

K xoxo

Revival · 01-05-2008, 02:16 AM

know exactly what you're talking about Kat I've been turned away before and had people staying in A&E being specialed because of no beds.
Our mental health system sucks hey?

butterfly hearts · 01-05-2008, 02:26 AM

lol, just a bit!
i mean it's one thing to watnt to keep people out of hospital and improve outpatient stuff etc etc....but i think realistically that you can't do that untill inpatient is sufficient. sometimes hosp is the only really helpfull option!
there is a grand total of 2-4 beds for eating disorders to cover the whole of the south-eastern subs in victoria's public system....like how bad is that! lol

K

crazykat · 01-05-2008, 02:27 AM

I Have been turned away many times because of shortage of beds also, our mental health system does indeed suck. They need to do more. A friend of mine once had to stay in emergency for just over a week till they could get her a bed once.

butterfly hearts · 01-05-2008, 02:34 AM

woah kat, that is awful indeed!
Apparently the Rudd govenment is putting a lot into mental health, but i do hope that a lot of that is into acute mental health.....
I love to bitch about this LOL....but i think that deinstitutionalisation was one of the worst choices for mental health. Has left people on the streets etc, really not fair at all! There was an eposode of 'Insight' (on channel 2) about it a while ago, was really informative.
I was at the suicide forum in melb last year, and this guy said that he used to go down to the local supermarket at night and help them stock the shelves when he was unwell, cus he knew that it would keep his mind busy and it was better than going into the system. I thought that was awsome lol.
anyways....im blabbering now....sorry guys :P

akita · 01-05-2008, 04:51 AM

I was turned away twice and ended up back there after an od so yes they suck. We love your blabbering honey

xxx

~invisible~girl~ · 01-05-2008, 05:25 AM

But you have socialized health care, right? As in, the government pays for it?

In the US, there may or may not be enough beds, depending on your income level... The average cost per night of inpatient care is sometime like $1000. If you're under 18 and from a low-income family, or if you're disabled and have no significant income, then maybe you'll qualify for medicare, and the government will pay for it, but otherwise you're on your own. Private insurance might cover it, but it generally won't cover all of it, so beds for people who have the most common types of health insurance are extremely limited and there are usually wait lists for several months. Furthermore, the only way to get minimally affordable health insurance is generally through your employer or school, and someone who's functional enough to hold down a full-time job usually isn't going to be getting top priority for inpatient psychiatric care (and part-time jobs don't have to offer health insurance), so mostly you've got to have a spouse or parents who have good health insurance that covers you.

I went to the ER a couple months ago for an od, and I spent the night there, but I never actually had any sort of meaningful psych evaluation there. Literally all that happened was a social worker talked to me for like two minutes and just asked if I was going to do it again, and that was it. Considering that a few days ago I took what could well have been a lethal dose of something (and I apparently threw up while unconscious and locked in my room by myself, so it's really just luck that I survived), and didn't tell anyone until three days later because they effectively rewarded me for saying I was okay, and threatened me for admitting I wasn't, and then took my word for it... I'm kind of thinking that outpatient care leaves something to be desired as well...

butterfly hearts · 01-05-2008, 05:55 AM

that's miserable :(

yes, we complain in aussie about it, but compared to the US we have so much more access to care!!!!

akita · 01-05-2008, 09:32 AM

Things where i live Kat are just as bad as in your area, the whole country needs to better mental health facilities.

tweety pie 84 · 01-05-2008, 09:25 PM

to be honest i think its a worldwide problem. The insurance/financial stuff in America is really bad, granted. But i've not heard of a decent mental health system.....anywhere in the world. I think so many people still hold massive issues about it, and so its not even close to a priority for goverments/etc

I know in my area the nhs have made the majority of their financial cutbacks within mental health services. Its like they cant see it so its not there sort of attitude.

It all comes down to money, as does everything else.

~invisible~girl~ · 01-05-2008, 11:54 PM

^^ Yeah, from what I've seen on RYL I'm inclined to agree that there doesn't seem to be an adequate system anywhere...

I think that in the US compared to elsewhere it's pretty similar to the situation with other areas of health care... We have some of the best health care in the world for those who can afford it, the health care for the very poor is fairly respectable compared to global standards, but the middle class has really crappy care, and a significant portion of working-class/ lower-middle class people have pretty much no access to health care.

butterfly hearts · 02-05-2008, 06:22 AM

apparently in tokyo, they have the largest number of beds for the number of people. i was supprised to hear that!
K

Warped · 06-05-2008, 04:55 PM

Butterfly hearts,
You said that deinstitutionalisation was one of the worst choices for mental health because it has left people out on the streets?
Is being locked up better than being in the community? I guess the current focus is on community intergration and treatment within the community in effort keep ppl as functional and satisfied as possible. Granted I know that being in the community is not always the best option depending on the individual person.
Im genuinely interested about this and was just wondering what are your other thoughts on deinstitutionalisation and the MH system in Aus?

butterfly hearts · 07-05-2008, 05:34 AM

Hi Warped :)
I am very understanding of the difficulties of forming an effective mental health plan etc. I have however spoken to many people/heard from many people, who themselves, or a family of friend of their's is not able to be in care, and therefore is left either on the streets, or under the care of a family or friend who's whole life then changes.
On the other hand, it is torrorfying to be told you are not in a state to make your own disicions, and be locked up!
I understand that treatment in the community is best if it is benificial, but i think that money and efforts should not be put into this without first fixing the problem of lack of beds in hospitals!
A book which i reccomend is 'wings of madness'.....i just remembered this book whilst i was writing....there is an example in there were a man fakes psychosis so that he can be kept in hospital, becase he knows that if he is let out he will leave by suicide/end up on drugs again. I have seen this sad truth a lot.....people wanting/needing inpatient care, and there simply not bing enough beds! I was kept of the childerens ward once because there were no beds in psych. Also, we have to be careful about the standard of care, because woman in particular suffer abuse (i have experienced this also) whilst on wards, and even young people die of ODs whilst in secure welfare. It is really, really sad.

I hope this helps answer your questions....i am no expert, so please share your opinions with me also, we can always learn from each other.

K xoxo