This is an absolutely horrible, tragic story from the BBC website today. This poor lady with schizophrenia was totally neglected and failed by every service who had responsibility towards her and lay undiscovered for three years after she died. It’s really heartwrenching:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-64400776
However, aibu to think that this framing by the family is a bit… off? It can obviously be very hard to maintain relationships with a severely mentally unwell family member, especially if you become a negative figure in their delusions, but surely you would still attempt to maintain contact and advocate for them? How can they not have heard from her for three years and not checked up on her? I believe that social services and mental health services have a responsibility to do better, I would never defend them in this case… but don’t families have a responsibility too?!? AIBU???
AIBU?
Laura Winham
worriediambecomingrightwing · 27/01/2023 13:11
Am I being unreasonable?
108 votes. Final results.
POLLworriediambecomingrightwing · 27/01/2023 13:29
@Columbina I’m sure you’re right, it’s a very short article that no doubt leaves a lot out! But patient confidentiality only works one way - there’s nothing stopping family regularly bothering social services, even if it’s just to say “X still won’t talk to me”. I struggle to imagine how you wouldn’t check up for three years!!
@ComtesseDeSpair the mental health act is there precisely because many people suffering serious MH problems don’t have capacity. It’s not nice to section someone or put them under a community treatment order, but this sort of situation is exactly what that is designed to prevent. And you’re right it’s not only the tories who neglect MH, but they’ve presided over 12 years of austerity in which things have only become worse.
AnneTwackie · 27/01/2023 13:32
Also, why do the police say they found her but the article also says her brother found her?
worriediambecomingrightwing · 27/01/2023 13:29
@Columbina I’m sure you’re right, it’s a very short article that no doubt leaves a lot out! But patient confidentiality only works one way - there’s nothing stopping family regularly bothering social services, even if it’s just to say “X still won’t talk to me”. I struggle to imagine how you wouldn’t check up for three years!!
@ComtesseDeSpair the mental health act is there precisely because many people suffering serious MH problems don’t have capacity. It’s not nice to section someone or put them under a community treatment order, but this sort of situation is exactly what that is designed to prevent. And you’re right it’s not only the tories who neglect MH, but they’ve presided over 12 years of austerity in which things have only become worse.
worriediambecomingrightwing · 27/01/2023 13:47
@BriceNobeslovesMurielHeslop obviously we don’t have enough details of this case to make our own clinical judgements. But if someone has a diagnosis of schizophrenia and is known to MH services to suffer from upsetting paranoid delusions that are causing them to disengage from services and treatment then you shouldn’t really discharge them for non-engagement! At the very least there should be a key worker trying to keep a eye, even if the threshold for section is very very high.
ComtesseDeSpair · 27/01/2023 13:19
If she wasn’t willing to open the door or answer the phone to her family, then I imagine she simply behaved the same way towards any services who tried to engage with her. Whilst tragic I’m not sure what the Tories have to do with this: it’s a very sad case of somebody with severe mental health problems not engaging and services having limited powers to force somebody to accept help.
Cheshiresun · 27/01/2023 16:30
Family/social services aside, why didn't neighbours notice anything?
In a similar case quite recently a woman was left and neighbours in the flats noticed a smell, piled up post etc and told the authorities - yet nothing was done. At least the neighbours in that case knew something was amiss.
Sad how this can happen. Disappointed in society as a whole.
Ponoka7 · 27/01/2023 16:28
"And if her own family, even with good cause, couldn't maintain even minimal contact with her, I'm not sure how anyone can expect services to do what they can't."
There wasn't an attempt to, even though the police were concerned.
Thankfully the enquiry will stick to the facts.
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