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nicky33
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When (psych) patients are your neighbours...

Ok..so not exactly next door neighbours...but within 5 mins walking distance (although one patient does live right in front of me but hasn't been an inpatient for a while)..

I'm not sure what I'm expecting anyone to say here..but I have become increasingly worried for my safety etc..

I work at the local hospital which happens to be situated on the outskirts of a large estate. I also live on the estate.

I started work as an NA about 6 months ago..and sometimes have student placements on the same unit..next one starts in jan.

So far one patient (who started writing me love letters) turned out that his parents home was my sisters next door neighbours.

Since then 2 people admitted onto the acute ward live in the adjacent street to me..

Wasn't particularly worried as they are more a harm to themselves than to others...but I totally freaked out today to discover that a new patient admitted to the PICU (where I work) lives round the corner..I mean literally round the corner as I pass his house on the way to the local shop.

Maybe I am just being overly paranoid..but this is quite a dangerous man and there is no reason why he should ever target me..but who knows...

I don't socialise here..but people apparently know who I am, where I live, what care I drive etc...and that's only from going into the local once in a blue moon. I stopped going when I saw a couple of patients in there on S17 leave having a drink or two !

I don't want to give up my job..and can't afford to move house just yet...

Is there anything I can do to make myself safer..?
2/Dec/07, 19:46 Send Email to nicky33     Send PM to nicky33   ICQ   AIM  
 
Kylie Selassie
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Re: When (psych) patients are your neighbours...

I have no practical advice Nicky, other than to say I sympathise with this situation.

I nursed somebody on my student placement in psychy who was hyper manic and used to hurl homophobic abuse at me, then come and apologize to me and tell me he'd pray for me. Frankly he scared me. I bumped into him in the street after his discharge - he was very well and we had a very civil conversation, but I still wasn't comfortable.

I guess you could argue that if they're out of hospital it's because they're well, hence shouldn't pose a difficulty. Any approaches of a social nature I always rebuff with the "can't cross the professional line" routine anyway, regardless of the patient's pathology.

Surely some of the MH nurses here must have faced this??


 

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3/Dec/07, 11:02  
 
Uberposter
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Re: When (psych) patients are your neighbours...

Well the Hospital I worked at was located in the town itself, and it wasn't uncommon to bump into patients anywhere around the town.

I think that the movie industry has given MH a very bad reputation, the amount of people with a likelyhood of harming others due to a MH is extremely small, particualrly if they don't know them.

You have a better chance of some young yob beating you up for drug money than a MH patient attacking you.

If you believe statistics, and just for once these are probably true, young adolescent boys are the largest group for suffering from aggressive behaviour from other adolescent boys.

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3/Dec/07, 14:08 Send Email to Uberposter     Send PM to Uberposter   Blog  
 
nicky33
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Re: When (psych) patients are your neighbours...

Well I bump into patients all the time in the local shopping centre...but I find that a bit different. Someone seeing you walk into the local asda isn't in the same league as someone seeing you go through your front door.

Funny you should mention the fact that if they are in the community then they are well and shouldn't pose a difficulty.

It's just that this particular new patient (the one that lives round the corner) was living at home when he became unwell again and it was from his home that he was sectioned and brought in !

I guess I was a bit shook up yesterday as I had visions of being involved in a restraint or something with him and then him spotting me in my front garden one day when he's back out... I guess apart from moving house there's not much I can do..apart from be aware and just try to be careful...

Last edited by nicky33, 3/Dec/07, 16:55
3/Dec/07, 16:54 Send Email to nicky33     Send PM to nicky33   ICQ   AIM  
 
Uberposter
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Re: When (psych) patients are your neighbours...

I never came across a MH patient who held a grudge about their care, when well they usually realise why the event took place.

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The dense seriousness of small minds prevails.

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A page of history is worth a pound of logic.
3/Dec/07, 17:40 Send Email to Uberposter     Send PM to Uberposter   Blog  
 
simpson

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Re: When (psych) patients are your neighbours...

nicky - I would explain to the staff that you know this man and ask not to be involved in any restraints with him. They should be sympathetic to this.



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3/Dec/07, 18:02 Send PM to simpson   Blog  
 
Kittyxxx121
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Re: When (psych) patients are your neighbours...

I never work in the town I live. When I did, I personally never had any problems apart from people shouting nurse, nurse and waving across the bar. A couple of colleagues have had problems however, 1 with stalking and another that bumped into a patient that shouted at them in the street (wasn't happy that he'd previously been sectioned and restrained).

If you do know someone that is admitted, you should be transferred to another ward whilst they are on yours.

---
Cause it's easier to fly,
There's a place that never dies in the southern sun,
Cause your love is on the run,
Let me out,
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3/Dec/07, 19:04 Send Email to Kittyxxx121     Send PM to Kittyxxx121   MSN   Blog  
 
dehlilah 2
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Re: When (psych) patients are your neighbours...

I must be tired cos i thought Nicky was maybe worried that the pattern of people being admitted from within same locality may lead Nicky to wonder if the same admission criteria would include Nicky...oops...not funny i know sorry...
6/Dec/07, 0:18 Send Email to dehlilah 2     Send PM to dehlilah 2  
 
snowkitty
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Re: When (psych) patients are your neighbours...

I am not feeling particularly sympathetic on this issue, just because someone has a mental health problem doesn't mean there going to be a threat to you, get a life, it's the ones that haven't had contact with MH services that you need to worry about, it's the undiagnosed psychopaths, the personality disordered out there that will focus in on you and you won't even see them coming until it's all over - no that's scary.

Remember only 2.5% of the prison population have enduring mental health problems and are in prison because they have committed offenses whilst unstable/untreated and few of them are there because of a breakdown in their community support.

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"If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all." -Noam Chomsky
22/Dec/07, 18:25 Send Email to snowkitty     Send PM to snowkitty   Blog  
 
Uberposter
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Re: When (psych) patients are your neighbours...

And most of those MH sufferers in prison would not be there if it weren't for care in the community.

---
The dense seriousness of small minds prevails.

Barry, RMN RGN (ret.)

A page of history is worth a pound of logic.
24/Dec/07, 8:57 Send Email to Uberposter     Send PM to Uberposter   Blog  
 


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