The United States mental health care system and where books cannot do what people, hopefully, someday, can.

This blog (that I haven't posted on in much too long - my apologies) is supposed to be for discussing books and book-related subjects. I will be detouring from that theme today because I am just so frustrated. The title of the blog is Books to the Rescue. Books have always been an escape for me. Unfortunately, books cannot cure all. 

They certainly are not curing the atrocity that is the U.S. Mental Health Care System. I've mentioned before that my father is mentally ill. About 2 years ago, give or take, it was clear my dad could no longer reside at home. He was taken to a mental health facility in a major urban city. It wasn't peaceful, and he had to worry about theft, but there were worse factors. The facility had medicine shortages. So instead of giving everyone their full prescribed doses, they would cut the amount given in order to spread the medicine out among all the residents. My father fell and broke toe bones twice, and exhibited "transitory dementia". When he was taken to the hospital, it was discovered that his ammonia levels were outrageously off. They managed to get those leveled out at the hospital, but it became clear this facility was not the place for him. 

He was moved to a nursing home that the doctor from the hospital worked with. It seemed all was well. My father did not fit the nursing home's demographic, and they didn't understand why he was there; however, he was being cared for and was safe. The doctor that had brought him there retired and that was tricky but we were managing. Then Covid hit, and he couldn't leave. He decided this was a prison and began spiraling out of control mentally. He became certain the director of the nursing facility was lying to him and other facilities so he couldn't get out of there. 

He was transferred to a different facility - another mental health one. The place was riddled with bed bugs. He moved to four different rooms in less than a week and was eaten up. His caseworker said he wasn't (mentally) at the level of the other patients and did not belong there. We couldn't get him out fast enough, so he moved into a room with a sibling that lives next door. He abused his medication horribly and had lost all health insurance in the transfer. 

Within two weeks he agreed to go back to the nursing home (and they agreed to take him). Unfortunately, the damage was done. His mental state was becoming worse by the day. He began accusing the director (and other staff) of stealing his art work and auctioning it off for hundreds of thousands of dollars. He thought they were sneaking into our home and stealing (or taking pictures of to use) the artwork that remains here. He was hearing staff in the hall "talk about him", hearing the director and other staff when they weren't even there. He believed he was forming relationships with various staff and they planned to take him home to rent a room from them - or worse yet, that they might reciprocate with romantic feelings. It didn't matter that this is all illogical, because you can't reason with such irrational delusions. The nursing home staff, who had never seen this side of him (he's typically very good at keeping these mental breaks just to family), are scared to go around him and be accused of the horrible things he is saying to and about them. I don't blame them. They are used to elderly patients who might have dementia or Alzheimer's, but nothing like this. 

 But we can't find a single long-term care facility that is within a reasonable distance, is clean and will care for him, and will treat his mental health issues appropriately. The case worker at the nursing home is looking, but with a basic search it does not look like the places she is finding are truly equipped to handle him. We are searching as well but without much luck. He can't stay there, he cannot come back here, but there is no place with decent mental health care? Or they are so far and few between that you have to hit the jackpot of luck to be near one? (And that isn't even considering what the quality facilities probably COST. We are a low income family.)

In the meantime, my father has begun making accusations about my mother, swearing at me, telling me he wants a new family.  And at the same time, my family has a LOT of other things/issues/situations going on.  This is just one of them.  So I don't mean to whine.  And I do hope to begin blogging again if I can get some semblance of organization and calm in my life.  

But at least I managed to get this all out into the universe.  Here's hoping for some change or improvement in the future.  Here's hoping some enterprising soul will find the ideal solution, and be willing to fight for it.  I'll read about them in a book, and admire them for their constitution, resilience, fight, dedication, compassion, and most importantly, for doing what I cannot.