Tina - Interview 18

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Tina is in her 60s and lives in London. She is a carer for her son who suffers from mental health problems and she is also working as a carer for people with mental health problems at an Asian community centre. Originally from India herself, she welcomed the opportunity to serve her own community.
Tina thinks that the health service makes it too easy for patients to avoid taking medication which could make them better. To address this she thinks carers should be more involved so that they can make decisions when the patient may be unable to. However, this can only be done if carers are involved and included in the process. Tina has experienced being excluded from some discussions and given limited information, yet she has been expected to sign papers related to medication or sectioning. On one occasion she was excluded because she wanted to bring along her daughter who would be able to translate medical terms. As a result, her son and the consultant had met without her.
In her work, Tina says it is important to be extra patient when interacting with people with mental health problems. They need to be shown sympathy and support, and it is important to address them in a calm and understanding way. She has experienced that when she does this, they open up to her and she can help them better. She has several times followed a woman at the community centre to the local hospital to get her injections, and Tina says without her gentle approach this woman wouldn't have received her medicine.
Tina thinks that many people have unrealistic views of mental health problems, which sometimes leads them to behave inappropriately towards people with such problems. She believes that with the right medical care, which should involve the family and carers, people can get well. Without the involvement of carers, however, people may lose out on chances of getting better.
Treat people with mental illness with sympathy and understanding (played by an actor).
Treat people with mental illness with sympathy and understanding (played by an actor).
She thinks medicine should sometimes be hidden in drinks to help people get better (played by an...

She thinks medicine should sometimes be hidden in drinks to help people get better (played by an...
Rather than forcing you should give them treatment, if the person doesn't take treatment you should give something in the water or in the food, and that way you can find out the 'cureness'. But if they say that, we should, -the law is very bad for this country. When the person has a mental balance then they don't say or hesitate taking the medication, but this kind of schizophrenia or any mental depression or many mental illness, the doctor should give the treatment in food or any available drink, when they refuse it they should do like that and cure the person. This is my personal opinion.
Tina says the meals in hospitals don't suit a Hindu diet (played by an actor).
Tina says the meals in hospitals don't suit a Hindu diet (played by an actor).
And what about clients who are vegetarian, they don't eat meat?
No, they don't get any vegetarian food, the only they get is like boiled vegetables, not properly -the vegetarian food at all. So when the client's family they bring the food then he can have it, otherwise they won't. So if they are strong religion minded it's really bad for the religious people there. But funny enough that my client he is a flexi one, the only thing -he doesn't have any beef, otherwise he's having all other food, and funny enough he gets fish and chicken so he can survive that way. But the portion they give is very little, like a little baby's having food, one scoop is not enough for them.
She says the hospital wanted her to sign sectioning papers while 'bluffing' about what was...
She says the hospital wanted her to sign sectioning papers while 'bluffing' about what was...
Tina thinks people need regular checks if they suffer bad side effects from psychiatric medicines...

Tina thinks people need regular checks if they suffer bad side effects from psychiatric medicines...
The patient has to have a regular check up for the body like a blood test, any routine check up, that they don't have any more kind of disease like the liver disease or any infection in their body. So sugar level, blood level, they should check it regularly like a, -not every month, but at least three months or six months, they should do that.
To make sure that the general health...
The general health is keeping well.
Why do you think that is particularly important?
Because when they see the side effect, like the put on weight, tiredness means, -with their medication at certain time their body is not coming on -back up, so they should have the check up that so they don't get any illness, what they are suffering from and with the side effect, so they should check up the blood etc.
Tina says when people with mental health problems have wrong perceptions of what is happening,...
Tina says when people with mental health problems have wrong perceptions of what is happening,...
She thinks most support comes from the home, but more openness can help communities provide...
She thinks most support comes from the home, but more openness can help communities provide...
And what about support from the community?
Well, if the people who understand those problems then they can talk to the community people and say that in -openly, in community members and then say that, 'Look, when this is the type of issues coming in our society, now we can take some action or we can take them, -if you can't look after them, take them to the old people's home or children's home or fostering them, and if you can afford to them to send in a hostel you can do that way'. Otherwise I don't think so, -you can live your life like that because come what may happen, something happens to you who can come and help you? So the community should get together and think about the progress or 'unprogress' or any issue of the health problem -they should take into their hand and give them support.
Tina says the ability housing officers are not giving her clients the support they are paid for ...
Tina says the ability housing officers are not giving her clients the support they are paid for ...
His relative?
His relative, 'she looks after me, otherwise no-one else, neither she phone or nothing'. And that's why I feel sorry for my client and say that, why the authority doesn't step up into it and find out that you are having the money for nothing, and the girl, -they should take the paper to sign, -the client, -that you are looking after them or not day to day in a routine' It is part of the government services, it's the local authority is in charge of them, and they don't look after that way. I raised those issues with the CPN, but it's -nothing happened because CPN can't do anything because the health authority is a different thing, and that supporting care thing is different thing, they said.
So the -your client is not receiving their...
Any, no, should have to receive that from the authority, he did not have any support from the ability housing office. So that's the one and other bad thing, and the authority doesn't know anything and I think then my voice is heard to the authority, then they should take all the money back from her, because the government is giving the money to look after them, or care for them, and you are having the care for them and getting money and don't do anything.
Tina says information should be available in different languages (played by an actor).
Tina says information should be available in different languages (played by an actor).
Well, funny enough the primary care trust person, when I was visiting one of the clients in the hospital and they tried to put that client under the section, and I don't understand those sections, so I asked the chap that what they do this and what they, -how it works, then he explained to me that if you, -and funny enough he is an Asian guy so he speaks my language, and he explained to me very simply that this is the thing that happens in society and they can, if you don't agree they can put under the section.
So information in different languages?
Exactly, because if they simplify then we should not [need to] ask any other people. If the information is available in the local people's language then they can read and they understand what is the problem, how their children or child or the patient are behaving in that manner, so they can find out that what is happening in their family or relative or in [cared for] people. So the language is the most important issue, and it's a barrier to combine the two communities together.