A Galway man has spent 21 weeks more than necessary in an acute psychiatric bed at a city hospital because there was no home for him to go to upon his release.
The 37-years-old, who is bipolar, had been living with the Brothers of Charity in Tuam, when he had a manic episode and was admitted to University Hospital Galway in early March.
After three weeks, his medication was stabilised and he was well enough to live back in the community.
However, he couldn’t return to the BOC home and, because of a shortage of alternative housing, was forced to go on Galway City Council’s housing waiting list, according to Galway East TD Anne Rabbitte.
Some 24 weeks later, he remains in an acute bed – effectively a bed-blocker – despite being stabilised. It could take another four weeks at least before he takes up an offer of a house with voluntary housing agency, Clúid.
In the meantime, the HSE maintains there is a shortage of acute psychiatric beds.
“They held a high level meeting this week about the shortage of acute beds, and then you have a situation like this – are they pulling the p***,” asked the Fianna Fáil deputy.
Deputy Rabbitte said the man is living his life as normal from the hospital he doesn’t need to be in – he travels by bus to collect his disability allowance in Tuam; he volunteers two days a week; and keeps his Brothers of Charity appointments. “He has to be back in the acute bed at 8pm daily,” she said.
Deputy Rabbitte added: “There is a shortage of mental health beds, yet the HSE is using an acute bed for a long stay patient, who has a housing need. That doesn’t make sense. I get people into my clinic every week, who need mental health services but they can’t get the treatment they require for their family members.
“Yet, here we have a situation where a man, who has stabilised, and who doesn’t need an acute bed, has been in an acute bed for 24 weeks. The family of this man feel let down. He doesn’t need to be in an acute bed, he needs a house. He is agitated and frustrated. The family are frustrated.”
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