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Relatives can help ensure safety
By SHAWN RHEA
Courier-Post Staff
September 15, 2006
Families can take steps to help
ensure the safety and proper care of loved ones at residential
mental health facilities, say mental health advocates.
"For families to stay involved and
be a presence at the facility is very important," advised Kathleen
Considine, a spokeswoman for the National Alliance on Mental Illness
of New Jersey and a former volunteer monitor of state mental health
hospitals.
Here's what to look for:
Check the facility's accreditation
and licensing status. According to Debra Wentz, CEO of the New
Jersey Association of Mental Health Agencies, all state-run
residential mental health facilities and hospitals must be licensed
by the State Division of Mental Health Services. Private facilities
should be accredited by one of several well-known bodies, including
the Joint Commission of Healthcare Organizations, The Council on
Accreditation or the National Committee for Quality Assurance.
"At a state institution, families
should ask when the facility last had a review from the Joint
Commission," Wentz said. "Ask how they rated, where they needed
improvement and what steps they took to improve."
Determine the staff-to-patient
ratio. The facility's accrediting or licensing body should be able
to tell you the required ratio for a particular program or ward.
Make sure the requirements are currently being followed and also ask
what the facility does to replace vacationing or sick staff.
Ask how many violent incidents have
taken place in the last 60 days at the facility and, in particular,
on the ward where your family member will be living.
"Ask how many patients were injured
by themselves, another patient or a staff member," advised Mary
Lynne Reynolds, executive director of the Mental Health Association
of Southwestern New Jersey.
Ask what protocol the facility uses
to monitor patients and how frequently patients are checked on in
the ward where your loved one is residing. Discuss how often
isolated patients are monitored and what the protocol is for
monitoring suicidal patients. Ask to see charts documenting when and
how often your family member was checked.
Request a copy of the facility's
patient's rights, rule and regulations.
Develop a relationship with the
facility's patient services representative, social worker and
volunteer monitors. They can keep family members apprised of any
unusual or concerning incidents. Check with the NAMI New Jersey
chapter (www.naminj.org)
to find out who its volunteer monitor is for a particular facility.
Look for signs of violence or
physical abuse. Question the staff about unexplained bruises or
cuts, as well as unusual behavior from your loved one.
Ask about staff members'
credentials. Determine whether the ward where your family member is
living is staffed by at least one mental health care provider who is
an MD or Ph.D. Also ask what the staff turnover rate is at the
facility.
"If they've been through three
doctors in a ward over the past year, then I'd be concerned,"
Reynolds said.
Determine how many beds the
facility is licensed to have and whether they are at or over
capacity.
Relatives can help ensure safety
ON THE WEB
For more information about advocating for a family member at a
residential mental health facility, visit:
National Alliance on Mental Illness of New Jersey:
www.naminj.org
New Jersey Association of Mental Health Agencies:
www.njamha.org
Mental Health Association of Southwestern New Jersey:
www.mhaswnj.org
Reach Shawn Rhea at (856) 486-2475
or
srhea@courierpostonline.com
Published: September 15. 2006 3:10AM
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