You are currently browsing the monthly archive for November 2007.
Read the rest of this entry »
Nursing Assistant: “He seems much better now.”
Me: “You think so? Everyone else seems to think he’s getting worse.”
Nursing Assistant: “Well, yes. He used to be constantly getting up and walking around, and we had to keep a close eye on him. Now we don’t have to, so that’s much better.”
*facepalm*
(That was sarcasm, just in case you missed it)
I’m not against the sentiments of the Mind report, I consider many people with mental illness to have a ‘vulnerability’ that requires constant monitoring and sympathetic consideration. But I have some concerns about the data that backs the report which are similar to TheShrinks response to the original posting.
I do not find the report all that useful or, after only a brief review, as “shocking” as it makes out. Such a posting may be sounding morally inappropriate to some. Nevertheless, I shall attempt to explain why I am disappointed with the report and have taken a whole new posting to do so.
Most people with mental health problems are routinely subjected to physical and sexual abuse or theft by their neighbours, a new study indicates.
Nearly three quarters of those suffering from conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia have been victimised in the community at least once in the past two years, with one in ten being sexually assaulted, according to a report by the mental health charity Mind.
A survey by the charity found that 41 per cent of respondents complained of persistent bullying, 27 per cent of sexual harrassment and 10 per cent of sexual assault. Just over a third – 34 per cent – said that they had also been victims of theft or financial crime, and a quarter had their homes targeted.
Comparisons with previous studies suggest that the problem is increasing, with the latest figures showing that people with mental health problems are far more likely to be victims rather than perpetrators of violent crime. Yet the study suggests that many crimes go unreported, with vulnerable adults feeling stigmatised by the police and legal system because of their illness.
The last study I read of victimisation in the community was published ten years ago and painted an equally bleak picture. It seems like there has been a failure to meet standard one of the National Service Framework: -
Health and social services should:
* promote mental health for all, working with individuals and communities
* combat discrimination against individuals and groups with mental health problems, and promote their social inclusion.
What’s to be done? Attempts to cast mental illness as a biological entity, in the same vein as diabetes or asthma, seem to have done little to reduce the stigma and discrimination against people with mental health problems. In fact, there is evidence to suggest that biological explanations make negative attitudes worse. The study linked to there suggests anti-stigma campaigns focus on ways of increasing contact with the users of mental health services. How do you think this could be achieved?
The society, which wants training in dementia care to be mandatory, argues that, under the current system, poorly-paid 16 and 17-year-olds are being asked to enter homes with minimal experience and manage people “with very serious conditions”.
“There needs to be a serious rise in expectations as to standards of care both relatives and residents can hope for,” said Andrew Chidgey, head of policy and campaigns at the Alzheimer’s
Society.
The government has promised a “new strategy”. I shudder to think.
Over the past few years we’ve seen a furious controversy about alleged links between autism and the MMR vaccine. One consequence of this is that I’ve worked with several parents who confidently assert that they “know” that the MMR vaccine caused their child’s autism. One lady recently told me that “it was proved” that her nephew’s autism was caused by MMR, but that the medical profession closed ranks to prevent litigation. They’re all completely, utterly 100% sincere. They’re also all completely, utterly 100% wrong.
For the most part, this has been well received and has resulted in major positive advancements in terms of nurse/patient interactions and facilitating events such as community leave better than ever before.
However, now the night staff start at 9pm instead of 11pm and some staff are having a problem with working out who should give out the Milo……
I’ve become somewhat (and perhaps momentarily) drawn into the world of ‘blogging’ and ‘posting’. Sat here at 4am, it’s possibly become something of an obsession (although I’m only awake cos some mozzie decided to take a banquet out of on my back) .
So in my ponderings, I began to wonder … what attracts me to this new-age techno forum?
To nominate a blog for This Week in Mentalists, e-mail zarathustra at mentalnurse dot org dot uk
It could be a piece of torn clothing, or a broken CD player, but it’s sitting there.. ready… intriguing…. just waiting… for a story to be told…
Having an awareness of anit-disciminatory laws and the such, I am amazed at the information that employment agencies still ask of you and the types of things you need to put into a resume.
In my bid to provide equal opportunities for all, I have constructed a non-discriminatory letter others may wish to use when they apply for their next job.
A clampdown on spending within the NHS has turned a massive deficit into an even bigger surplus in just two years.
As much as £1.8bn, about 2% of the budget, will be left unspent this year, the Department of Health says - prompting charges of “boom and bust”.
£1.8 billion? Enough to pay the salaries of 90,000 nurses? Well done, boys. Oh, very well done. Can we now rehire all those nurses that got laid off, leaving many hospital wards dangerously understaffed?
But how far can a nurse take advocacy and still be safe?
This brings to mind an issue that gets debated quite regularly among nurses. Should nurses be willing to go on strike?
A few more details about the Karen Reissmann case (from the Reinstate Karen website) below.
Read the rest of this entry »
Time, once again, for our weekly round-up of all things Mentally Interesting in the blogosphere.
To nominate a blog for future editions, e-mail your nominations to zarathustra at mentalnurse dot org dot uk



Recent Comments