Has anyone have an experiences they are able to share regarding steps once an order for assessment is obtained? My brother has taken himself off medication since last years and refuses to take his meds again or see his doctor because according to him he is fine and its everyone else that is sick. Since he stopped taking his medication, he returned to my parents house (they are retired) and I am worried about them in addition to him. He was on meds for the last 14 years and had responded well to them. He ended up on meds because of involvement with criminal justice system…
Our last hope is to obtain an assessment order but have been trying to talk to him because once the order is issued police intervention is required. We have told him that if he does not take his medication then he will have to leave the house but he manipulates my mom by asking her how she can kick her son out after all these years (he is in his mid 40s)
This illness has taken such a toll on our entire family and I feel like I am caught in the middle of having to care for my parents and provide support to them while also having to take care of a toddler, going to work and being a wife. We live on the east coast and if my parents make him leave then he has no where to go. He will freeze. Those threats have not helped. He refuses to leave.
Any advice or tips of what helped others get their loved ones back on their meds would be so appreciated because we are on the verge of giving up. I’ve read books and reached out to agencies and all those attempts have been useless.
I don’t have much advice, but I think you are right to get your brother into a long term care facility, away from your parents. Have you inquired at your state’s hospital?
Getting the order turned out to be easier than enforcing it because as you said the police will pick them up. We were told if my son pulled a weapon (even a kitchen knife) he could be shot. The police are not necessarily well trained in dealing with the mentally ill. Some areas do better than others, so would see what the procedure is prior to getting the order.
After admission he got an attorney to file a suit (yes they can do that).
You will also want to check on insurance. A review of chart notes by an outsourced cost containment agency deemed him not a danger any longer and insurance would not approve a prolonged stay. He was there 10 days and refused meds most of the time. Not sure how they got him to agree to take meds, but the last few days he did. Then we found out upon discharge he was free to go anywhere and no follow up enforced. I don’t want my story to stop you from proceeding, just ask a few questions up front so you have a better idea how it could play out. Long story short, we went into the experience rather naïve and the outcome was not what we hoped for at all.
I understand your problem, and your concern is valid. Unmedicated, most ill people cannot be sensible about the illness, your brother cannot see it. Of course your parents want to help, but probably don’t want to share their home.
Unfortunately, society has few long term care options without out-of-pocket expense for the care-givers. We built a studio apartment into our home for my afflicted daughter. Before that the noise and strange behavior was reverberating through the entire home setting our nerves always on edge.
Recently, my daughter got arrested leading to jail, involuntary hospitalization for the 5th time, and court ordered meds. I went to court and the judge helped me to force her care.
In my county, it is fairly easy to go to the courthouse and file papers for involuntary hold. Yes, the police come and take away the loved one. The problem is after the hold is over. The hospitals just release them after the hold, with no follow up required. There is no real out-patient care easily available, and med compliance cannot be forced.
The ONLY success I had was because when jailed, I went to the judge and said she needed medical help, was diagnosed already, and wouldn’t be med compliant. He ordered med compliance. Without that arrest and the court order, my daughter would NEVER have agreed to medicine.