Yesterday I was included by phone in a conference with Common Ground (state program) and the Rose Meadow Facility. The meeting was to discuss goals for my son, sort of like what Rose Meadow can do for Jeffrey. Rose Meadow is a private brain injury facility, so once or twice a year the state must monitor state funded patients. At one time last winter I found the information online, and they charge a lot for a place like that. Considering goals the main goals are to get him to be agreeable in taking his medication, and agreeable in taking showers.
I worry about what will happen to Jeff if he keeps refusing his medication and trying to escape from the facility. As I said they are not state funded, so they have the right to discharge him, if they so choose to. Considering the conference time was not long, I tried to get in everything I felt was important. To keep it simple, on my list I wrote down the following basic needs for my concerns.
#1. Mental activity
#2. Physical activity
#3. Something of pleasureMental activity: I informed them that I felt since the last brain tumor, Jeff's thought process had slowed down. So he needs daily prompting, and repetitive reinforcement to do something to keep his brain active.
When he was home he used to play the hoyle card games on his computer. When he was released from the hospital to a provider last summer (after 9 months in the hospital) I feared he had lost the mental aptitude to play the card games. Last summer I brought his laptop to him and much to my surprise he was very capeable. I also brought his laptop to Rose Meadow, and before the last tumor, I was told that he did use it. But after the last tumor, he did not use it. So he needs daily prompting, and repetitive reinforcement in accessing the computer games. This is something he enjoyed and something he was familiar with. So my suggestion was, other then him laying on his bed doing nothing all day, some daily prompting, and repetitive reinforcement in accessing the computer games might help in getting his thought process a little more active.
Physical activity: If they can urge him to take 2 daily walks a day, perhaps he will stop with the little escapes he keeps trying to make. Considering he can still walk, he actually needs that exercise in the fresh air. They claim they are offering him walks and he will often refuse them. But who knows? Again, getting out and moving around is better then laying in bed sleeping all day. Unless a person is physically unable to move around, I thought these facilities knew how to encourage these people to get involved and get active. Moving around circulates the blood to the brain and helps with brain activity.
Something pleasurable: Once upon a time my son was an avid weather buff. He enjoyed hiking, fishing, and watching his favorite journalists. Now he just likes to go for a ride in scenic areas and stop to eat at McDonalds or Subway. So far as I know, this facility has only taken him to doctor's appointments, and they don't stop for lunch on the way back. I told them that going out was pretty much the only thing he enjoys now.
The way I look at it, if you don't have anything pleasurable in life what is there to look forward to? Well now that we have had this conference of his day program it has been established that he should get out once every 2 weeks. I had hoped for once a week, however I am wondering if they will follow through with once every 2 weeks? If he don't make it in this place where can he go, back to the state hospital. They only have one mental institution in the state of New Hampshire. I don't know maybe I'm expecting to much from this place?
I often pick up on the attitude of others and how they relate to mental illness. What frustrates me is, so many of them working in this field, like doctors, nurses, and providers of the mentally ill, actually have little empathy and concern for their clients. If they see them with something nice their family has provided for them, their attitude is often, "why bother giving him or her nice clothes, nice things, or a laptop. They don't need them, they don't appreciate them" And when they steal from them, well it's just like taking candy from a baby. I consider people like that
"OUTSIDERS" I know it seems rather silly to write all this out. However this daily journal (other then a bunch of boring stuff about myself) is my documentation on this ongoing process of my son and steps taken for his care. As problems arise, with ongoing issues, I like to have documentation to look back on. I know I will never keep a hard copy of it, and if I stash it away on my hard drive I could lose it.
I worry about what will happen to Jeff if he keeps refusing his medication and trying to escape from the facility. As I said they are not state funded, so they have the right to discharge him, if they so choose to. Considering the conference time was not long, I tried to get in everything I felt was important. To keep it simple, on my list I wrote down the following basic needs for my concerns.
#1. Mental activity
#2. Physical activity
#3. Something of pleasure
Mental activity: I informed them that I felt since the last brain tumor, Jeff's thought process had slowed down. So he needs daily prompting, and repetitive reinforcement to do something to keep his brain active.
When he was home he used to play the hoyle card games on his computer. When he was released from the hospital to a provider last summer (after 9 months in the hospital) I feared he had lost the mental aptitude to play the card games. Last summer I brought his laptop to him and much to my surprise he was very capeable. I also brought his laptop to Rose Meadow, and before the last tumor, I was told that he did use it. But after the last tumor, he did not use it. So he needs daily prompting, and repetitive reinforcement in accessing the computer games. This is something he enjoyed and something he was familiar with. So my suggestion was, other then him laying on his bed doing nothing all day, some daily prompting, and repetitive reinforcement in accessing the computer games might help in getting his thought process a little more active.
Physical activity: If they can urge him to take 2 daily walks a day, perhaps he will stop with the little escapes he keeps trying to make. Considering he can still walk, he actually needs that exercise in the fresh air. They claim they are offering him walks and he will often refuse them. But who knows? Again, getting out and moving around is better then laying in bed sleeping all day. Unless a person is physically unable to move around, I thought these facilities knew how to encourage these people to get involved and get active. Moving around circulates the blood to the brain and helps with brain activity.
Something pleasurable: Once upon a time my son was an avid weather buff. He enjoyed hiking, fishing, and watching his favorite journalists. Now he just likes to go for a ride in scenic areas and stop to eat at McDonalds or Subway. So far as I know, this facility has only taken him to doctor's appointments, and they don't stop for lunch on the way back. I told them that going out was pretty much the only thing he enjoys now. The way I look at it, if you don't have anything pleasurable in life what is there to look forward to?
Well now that we have had this conference of his day program it has been established that he should get out once every 2 weeks. I had hoped for once a week, however I am wondering if they will follow through with once every 2 weeks? If he don't make it in this place where can he go, back to the state hospital. They only have one mental institution in the state of New Hampshire. I don't know maybe I'm expecting to much from this place?
I often pick up on the attitude of others and how they relate to mental illness. What frustrates me is, so many of them working in this field, like doctors, nurses, and providers of the mentally ill, actually have little empathy and concern for their clients. If they see them with something nice their family has provided for them, their attitude is often, "why bother giving him or her nice clothes, nice things, or a laptop. They don't need them, they don't appreciate them" And when they steal from them, well it's just like taking candy from a baby. I consider people like that "OUTSIDERS"
I know it seems rather silly to write all this out. However this daily journal (other then a bunch of boring stuff about myself) is my documentation on this ongoing process of my son and steps taken for his care. As problems arise, with ongoing issues, I like to have documentation to look back on. I know I will never keep a hard copy of it, and if I stash it away on my hard drive I could lose it.