“In my small municipality, they have actually taken summer vacation, is it really possible???? As a relative, this is completely hair-raising” In a post on social media, Kari Eldby in Lødingen writes about what she finds unacceptable. Psychiatry in the municipality has simply taken summer vacation. “Do they let sick people fend for themselves because they know relatives are there? Something is terribly wrong in our society” Sitting at home and getting worse Eldby has 20 years’ experience as a relative, and she has also been involved in mental health. She feels that the psychiatric service across the country is under pressure. – What has happened is that the psychiatric service has been severely amputated, also here. They have few people and this summer everyone took a holiday at the same time. And then people sit at home in their own houses and get worse. Heavy traffic on the helplines news knows that this also happens in other municipalities. In Rana municipality, which is a city municipality, what is called “Quick mental health care” has taken a holiday, which many have reacted to on social media. Photo: Skjermdump/news news has not been able to get a comment from Rana municipality over the weekend. Mental health has a 24-hour helpline and chat and states that they are very busy this summer. Sigrid Ø. Mull, deputy head of the Mental Health Helpline Photo: Mental Health – We receive many inquiries precisely about the topic of the public service apparatus that is completely or partially closed. So we can say that this is unfortunately not unique. This happens in many places, says Sigrid Ø. Mull in Mental Health. What do callers say? – No, it can be anything from deep despair to anxiety because you don’t get the help you normally have. It may be missing the therapist or frustration and anger at the situation. Mull says they have full respect for people to have a holiday, but that this hits very hard. – We also know that someone has been offered a conversation partner during the holiday period. But that they say no to it because they can’t bear to lay their souls on the table for yet another new person. These are often very vulnerable and can feel a bit like throwing balls in the first place. Two emergency admissions in a short time Kari Eldby in Lødingen says that her daughter has had two emergency admissions at DPS in this short time this summer. She believes it can be linked to the fact that she does not receive any form of follow-up. – It is not sustainable, you cannot close a service for sick people, it is not possible. It is usually at weekends, public holidays and holidays that the diseases are most pronounced. It is terrible to see people who are so ill who are not offered anything other than an emergency hospital. Kari Eldby and her dog Photo: Private photo Eldby has tried to speak to someone responsible in Lødingen municipality, but says she has not been able to get through. She has also written a letter to the municipality, without receiving a reply. Relatives on duty around the clock According to Eldby, there are many more people than her daughter who are affected by the psychiatric service taking a holiday in the summer. She believes there is very little understanding of illnesses within psychiatry. – To me, it seems that the next of kin are supposed to follow up. My daughter is lucky to have me. But not everyone has one, and they stay by themselves. How does it feel for you to be in the middle of this? – It feels terribly tough and you feel very alone. You are on duty all the time, around the clock. You can’t relax and lie with your phone all the time. The municipal director: – Understands that it is difficult. Lødingen is a small municipality with difficult finances and problems in getting hold of qualified people in the positions. Acting municipal director Thomas Richard Schjelderup explains that. Function. municipal director in Lødingen Thomas Richard Schjelderup Photo: Private photo – We have some considerations we have to make in relation to our personnel as well. It is both illness and holiday cancellation. Those who work there also have the right to cancel their holiday, and then there is no way around it, he explains. And he adds: – We are thinly staffed in the first place. We know it’s not lucky to close for a few weeks, but that’s the reality. He points out that they have an emergency collaboration with UNN Harstad which deals with emergency incidents. It is not the case that you prioritize the psychiatric service in relation to other health services and think that the next of kin will surely take care of their own? – No, in no way, it has nothing to do with it. It is about the fact that the service itself is vulnerable and exposed when it is so thinly staffed. Understands the criticism from relatives Schjelderup confirms that they have received an inquiry from a relative, which does not surprise him. – We have shut down a service and then we just have to accept the criticism that comes. Can you do something now? – Basically, it is difficult. If we had had the opportunity to staff the service, we would have done so. So the message is that you have to manage yourself if it is not very urgent? – Now those are your words, I don’t know if I would say it that way there, but it can be interpreted that way. The Psykologforeningen has a list of helplines and websites for you who need someone to talk to.
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The psychiatry service in several municipalities is taking a summer holiday – a mother in Lødingen thinks it’s hair-raising – news Nordland
