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Inpatient units

BrianJ
Community Member

We are trying to work out whether an inpatient unit would be helpful for our son, who has suicidal thoughts. We are looking at both public and private units, and our understanding is that the private units could be less stressful, as they only have voluntary patients. We are concerned about him being in close proximity with others who have higher needs than him, as he tends to empathise (maybe too much).

Thanks

6 Replies 6

geoff
Champion Alumni
Champion Alumni

Hello Brian, I want to say how sorry I am for the situation you are in with your son and all the worry associated with this.

I have been in both of these situations, days in public and a couple of weeks in private.

To be admitted to a private unit may cost money, whether this is a problem or not I'm not sure, however, in a public hospital or unit, people will be segregated with other people suffering from the same feelings, in other words, people still have the empathy where ever they are in, but in a private hospital the attention from the staff is quicker.

I did prefer the private myself as there were two other people and myself who we all connected with.

If you are able to put your son in a private unit/hospital that would be my suggestion.

Best wishes.

Geoff.

Nurse_Jenn
Community Member

Hi BrianJ,

Welcome to the forum. I am sorry to hear about your son having suicidal thoughts. This would be really distressing for him and your family. You are not alone. There is a lot of experience and advise on the forum and in your community.

I have had similar questions posed to me on the forum and I always recommend the safest option. For example, if you can afford private health settings and your son feels safe to have an admission at a private facility and there is room, then this may be a great choice. If your son is very unsettled and does not feel safe and the thoughts are very strong, you may need more emergent care and a public facility may be more appropriate. I wonder if you have sought advise from a GP or another health provider like a psychologist that has seen your son previously?

As Geoff has said in his post, there are pros and cons to either type of setting. I have been employed as a staff nurse in both private and public settings. The private settings are generally less acute and more focused on programs and therapy where public settings have these features but can get interrupted quite easily with emergency situations.

That being said every setting is really different and some public facilities are fantastically staffed and supported. In a private facility, you may be offered a tour to see the site and learn about the different programs they offer. There are also some great programs attached to the public settings but are not always advertised. It will really depend where you live as to what is available.

This is where a local GP or psychologist may be important and can determine with you if an admission would be beneficial in a public health setting versus private. There may also be other Non- Government Organisations (NGOs) that have services in your area that may meet his needs.

Whatever the case, addressing your sons suicidal thinking sooner rather than later is a good idea.

A resource to call to discuss this is the National Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467 or visit the website on https://www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au/

Another resource in case you or your family need any immediate support is the experienced team at Lifeline on 13 11 14

Wishing you the best possible outcome,

Nurse Jenn

Doolhof
Champion Alumni
Champion Alumni

Hi Brian J,

As a person who also has suicidal thoughts, I would like to recommend you listen to your son, that you seek advice form your GP as Nurse Jenn recommended and see what is available sooner than later.

I've not been in the situation where I have been able to afford private assistance, only public and have been placed in mental health care twice, once voluntarily and the second time I was beyond making the choice for myself so I was placed in care.

No matter where your son ends up, I would also like to advise you to ensure he receives care once he has been discharged! It can be very daunting being returned to the world and finding no support services are available.

I wish you and your son well.

The Beyond Blue site has some helpful information relating to depression and suicidal thoughts that maybe beneficial.

Cheers from Dools

Summer Rose
Blue Voices Member
Blue Voices Member

Hi Brian J

I was once in your shoes. My daughter was 13 years old.

We could afford private but ended up choosing the public option. We did this because of safety and the treatment available.

The nurse to patient ratio was better at the public hospital and the unit only accepted patients up to the age of 18. At the private hospital it was 21. I was concerned that the older patients would expose her to issues that she wasn't ready for and perhaps put her in dangerous situations.

We also sought advice from our GP as well. We also visited the hospitals and talked with the staff.

Once we made the decision we had a pre-admission meeting, so we could ask further questions and find out what to expect.

It's a tough decision. But I would highly recommend visiting your options and getting a "gut feel".

I'm so sorry that you're in this position. My heart goes out to you.

Courage

Hi Brian

I forgot to say that I was also concerned about my daughter meeting people "with higher needs". The truth was that she was very ill or she wouldn't have been there herself. Sometimes there just is no alternative.

One of the gifts of the experience was that she met another person with her illness, OCD. She felt less of a "freak" and was comforted to feel less alone.

The biggest gift of all was that the treatment worked. It was a real turning point and set her on a path to recovery.

It gets better. Never give up.

Matches
Blue Voices Member
Blue Voices Member
Hi BrianJ,
Having worked in both public and private inpatient units, I would choose private every time, the public system in my experience, tend to have a lot of people with comorbid disorders. Also, please be aware that private facilities also have involuntary patients, although these patients are typically classified as lower risk, perhaps you were referring to forensic patients?
What age is your son? My then 17-year-old son dropped out of school for a while and came to live with me fulltime (I’m divorced) he was extremely withdrawn and slept all the time and I was very concerned for him given our family history. I encouraged him to attend an appointment at Headspace, which I accompanied him to, I wanted him to know there were services available, people he could talk to if he was unable to share his problems with me.
It’s a difficult choice, exposing him to potentially harmful influences, some individuals struggle with the stigma of being hospitalised for the rest of their lives, and not providing enough care.
I hope your son makes a full recovery.