Disgrace

An update to Pembroke Hospital’s wrongdoings has been reported by the Patriot Ledger. The Ledger related that Ms. Judy Merel, Pembroke Hospital spokeswoman, communicated the following in an email statement:

“Once we have received the official report from CMS we will take all steps necessary to remedy any and all issues noted in the report and most likely they will have already be addressed.”

Is it conceivable that the facility’s real impetus for finally taking action is that it is at risk of losing an arrangement of accepting taxpayer-funded health insurance? Is it all about money, and does nothing else matter? Does Ms. Merel even believe the reported crises exist?

I wonder how Ms. Merel would feel if her loved one was in a place like Pembroke Hospital.

So many families of psychiatric patients are thrilled that their loved one has the courage to receive help. For Pembroke Hospital family members, little do they know that the facility is understaffed. Such lack of sufficient nursing staff, mental health workers or case workers equates to poor patient outcome. There are no trained security to monitor when someone is experiencing difficulty, let alone everyday events. This hospital is a 120-bed facility for psychiatric patients only. It should be safe for everyone.

A young female patient died as an inpatient at Pembroke Hospital. How distressing, and how unfathomable: why and how would a young woman die in a psychiatric hospital? I would imagine pre-admission medical clearance would be required.

Nurses and mental health workers have been assaulted. Earlier this month a nurse suffered a near-loss of her ear and her face gorged from a patient who had already assaulted other staff. Why was this patient still in residence at Pembroke Hospital?

And let’s not forget the lack of trained security and lack of a panic alarms for staff in danger. How can personnel effectively care for these patients and not have the backup they need?

The front should be secured and admittance only permitted via front desk staff – a practice implemented in elementary schools, for goodness sake!

Why does the staff have to come down and leave the floor to escort the visitor to the floor? Why isn’t there a volunteer or paid personnel to do this?

The unsecured front door opens onto one women seated at a reception area, alone. The waiting room is empty and remains empty until staff comes and greets you.

Pembroke Hospital is a disgrace that should be taken over by a professional organization that knows what they are doing and want to help the patients with the issues that brought them there in the first place.

Sheila Wilson R.N. BSN MPH
President
Stop Healthcare Violence
www.stophealthcareviolence.org