Please help me I'm desperate

Julie, if you think your son is at risk of harming himself or others you need to get mental health services involved and once he's in there you say you want a social worker to see him before he leaves.

You also ring the local council and find out how to register him as being disabled. You also go to DSS and do the same.

The alternative is YOU ask for psychiatric help by turning up at ED and letting them know you can't cope any more and your son doesn't have his usual support because you are not able to care for him.

Thank you so much for replying, he has a social worker for vulnerable adults and everytime I've brought hi to the mental health team or the hospital they just send him home staying it's not a mental health crisis. That just makes him even more upset and harms again because he feels there not listening. The only time the sectioned him for two weeks was because my husband and I threatened then if any harm comes to him or others we would hold them accountable. He so afraid he can't convey. The last time I pleaded with the mental health team got in into there hospital only for him to turn him away saying they could manage outside. No one ever came spite me chasing them daily. I actually work in the field of nursing in a senior position so I'm not unfamiliar with how and what should happe. They just keep expecting me to sort it and I should as his mum but I can't watch anymore him loss weight, overdose, and crying out to just die. He really wants to go some where for support and time out to try and feel normal.  

You will know two things as a senior nurse

1) it's not those with the most need it is those with the loudest voice who get the best care

2) in an emergency keep yourself safe first because we don't want to deal with two casualties.

The problem is you are thinking about everyone else and not you. What happens if you keel over with a stroke?

First of all everything below is dependent on you getting POA health for your son with you as his attorney. I can get away with written consent as my step daughters agent for now but we will do a POA if needed.

Whenever you speak to anyone about your son's care from now on in, get out your smartphone with a recording device and say you are recording the interview so that you can refer back to it as needed to remember what is discussed and agreed. You also write down the first and last names of everyone you speak to and their professional designation. If they say "we will see you on XX day"  you say "if I do not hear from you what phone number do I call to find out where you are." They will object, but as long as recording is done openly and you say you are recording you should be alright. If they kick off ask they call patient services to clarify.

If they complain about being busy.and overstretched you say "I am sorry you have this problem however we are discussing my son's care and by recording details I'm making sure he's getting what he is entitled to." Get your husband to get you practiced at saying it calmly and smoothly, because I suspect you hesitate and they take advantage of you being a fellow health professional.

The first moment they slip up you complain in writing on your son's behalf. You use Patients Advice (have it on your phone already) and you phone them before you send in the complaint and you say you want the receipt of complaint acknowledged in 7 days. If they don't you copy it to the commissioning group and your local MP.

Any complaint to be successful needs to site the patient's charter AND give reasonable expectation of care i.e. if CMH nurse X can not make a previously agreed appointment, I expect a phone call and that will include discussion as to when the next appointment is. If the nurse can not make the call herself I expect it from a manager.

You won't be popular. I joke with primary care colleagues including our GP my name has a big black mark against it. Our GP has made me promise I will tell him if I'm unhappy because my letters are so well argued.

You have to think "my kid is more important than anyone else and I'm not going to accept this kind of poor care or any more excuses."

My only ever fail has been the family court and that's because the lawyer for child was a worse misandrist than my SOs ex and could not believe his daughters were safer with him.than her.

If you want help wording complaints bring them back here. It's all an art,

You have to look after yourself as well. You need to make sure if you go off sick that your management knows exactly why - you can't cope with the lack of mental health services for your son and this has resulted in stress leave.

It's not easy to do this but it's worth it. My SD20 was refused ADHD assessment but the psychiatrist who saw her after the complaint got her seen said I was completely right...and that was worth gold.

You will know two things as a senior nurse

1) it's not those with the most need it is those with the loudest voice who get the best care

2) in an emergency keep yourself safe first because we don't want to deal with two casualties.

The problem is you are thinking about everyone else and not you. What happens if you keel over with a stroke?

First of all everything below is dependent on you getting POA health for your son with you as his attorney. I can get away with written consent as my step daughters agent for now but we will do a POA if needed.

Whenever you speak to anyone about your son's care from now on in, get out your smartphone with a recording device and say you are recording the interview so that you can refer back to it as needed to remember what is discussed and agreed. You also write down the first and last names of everyone you speak to and their professional designation. If they say "we will see you on XX day"  you say "if I do not hear from you what phone number do I call to find out where you are." They will object, but as long as recording is done openly and you say you are recording you should be alright. If they kick off ask they call patient services to clarify.

If they complain about being busy.and overstretched you say "I am sorry you have this problem however we are discussing my son's care and by recording details I'm making sure he's getting what he is entitled to." Get your husband to get you practiced at saying it calmly and smoothly, because I suspect you hesitate and they take advantage of you being a fellow health professional.

The first moment they slip up you complain in writing on your son's behalf. You use Patients Advice (have it on your phone already) and you phone them before you send in the complaint and you say you want the receipt of complaint acknowledged in 7 days. If they don't you copy it to the commissioning group and your local MP.

Any complaint to be successful needs to site the patient's charter AND give reasonable expectation of care i.e. if CMH nurse X can not make a previously agreed appointment, I expect a phone call and that will include discussion as to when the next appointment is. If the nurse can not make the call herself I expect it from a manager.

You won't be popular. I joke with primary care colleagues including our GP my name has a big black mark against it. Our GP has made me promise I will tell him if I'm unhappy because my letters are so well argued.

You have to think "my kid is more important than anyone else and I'm not going to accept this kind of poor care or any more excuses."

My only ever fail has been the family court and that's because the lawyer for child was a worse misandrist than my SOs ex and could not believe his daughters were safer with him.than her.

If you want help wording complaints bring them back here. It's all an art,

You have to look after yourself as well. You need to make sure if you go off sick that your management knows exactly why - you can't cope with the lack of mental health services for your son and this has resulted in stress leave.

It's not easy to do this but it's worth it. My SD20 was refused ADHD assessment but the psychiatrist who saw her after the complaint got her seen said I was completely right...and that was worth gold.

Thank you, as a nurse I fight the right for all that I care for but I've found this years just been to much. I will start again and make a plan of action. Just talking about it makes feel relief especially to someone that understands. Family is great but they don't know how to help let alone they gave their own problems.  I guess I'm feeling angry at the lack of support for both of us. I might take you up on the offer of helping with writing a complaint. X julie