Can any mental health professionals help please?

[MegBusset]

MIL's partner (who is elderly and has been suffering from dementia for some time) has been sectioned today after several violent episodes in recent months (he assaulted the health visitor who came to assess him this afternoon). The trouble is that MIL is also elderly and is worried about what happens next; she doesn't know where he's been taken (presumably the local hospital?) and hasn't got a contact number (social services were supposed to call her back today but haven't yet). All she knows is that he has been detained for a week to start with.

DH wants to try to find out more info for her, where should he start? And what is the usual procedure for situations like this? MIL is very concerned that he will 'escape' or be released without her knowledge (their relationship broke down years ago but she has never felt able to get him to move out of her house -- if/when he is released she would not feel safe living with him as he has attacked her several times).

Probably the best thing to do is to phone your local psychiatric unit and ask to be put through to the old age ward, someone there should either be able to confirm that is where he is, or where she should try next.

An alternative would be to call your local social services emergency number, it will either be the social worker involved earlier, or someone else who should be able to point you in the right direction.

Yes I agree, try your local psychiatric hospital, the switchboard should be able to put you in contact with an on-call manager who will be able to help. I'm amazed that she doesn't know where he has been taken. If your MIL is Next of Kin she will be informed of where he is under the Mental Health Act. And also as he is sectioned there are formal processes with regards to discharge that have to be followed, he won't just be discharged, there will be follow up and the hospital will need to ensure he has secure and appropriate accommodation to return to. Hope that helps.

And just to add, your MIL should try and relax a bit now. It sounds like her partner needs help and your MIL needs a break.

Thanks both. Littlestrawberry, it is entirely possible that she was technically told where he was being taken but that in the confusion and upset she didn't hear or it has slipped her mind.

That is very reassuring re: the discharge, will pass that on to her.

From what you've said it doesn't sound to me that he'll be going anywhere for a while and he will most likely need a period of assessment in hospital. Especially if as you say, it's been going on for a while and is part of his dementia (which isn't going to get any better). If she doesn't want him to come back living with her (and if it isn't an appropriate place for him to be and she can no longer care for him safely) there will need to be an assessment/discussion about his care needs and where is the most appropriate/safest place for him to be cared for now. Hope you managed to get some info out of someone - as someone else has said, either the hospital or a social worker should be available to explain the ins and outs of the situation to your poor MIL.

Quick update: SS did call MIL and gave details of where he is, and DH took her up there today to visit. Apparently he was totally out of it, just raving, and covered in cuts and bruises where he has been hitting walls etc so don't think he is going anywhere soon. None of his four children have visited or even phoned him even though MIL has passed on the details -- very sad even though MIL has no love lost for him.