- Category: Crisis Response, Discharged Without a Safe Plan — Hospital, Medicaid & Insurance
- Tag(s): Anosognosia / Lack of Insight, Homelessness, Severe Deterioration
- State: CA
*Each story is shared by someone impacted by untreated SMI, lightly edited for clarity, never for meaning.
After I brought him home to live with me, he lasted almost a year. We met with county health who prescribed different medications, some caused side effects like akathisia, weight gain, some didn’t help. After nearly a year he stopped taking his medication, would lay in bed all day, not eat. Total decompensation.
I’d call crisis team and they would come out, get him to agree to eat something and then they’d leave. One day he up and left in his car. Ended up back in the state he lived in prior to this. I called Crisis team and they talked to him and left. I called local PD mental health unit and they took him to hospital.
He ended up involuntarily hospitalized for 30 days. He received long acting injection while there. They released him a week after his injection to be homeless. No safety plan.
So I had to drive out and pick him up. He has been denied disability so he didn’t qualify for housing. He since has refused all medications but I paid for an apartment for him since he doesnt want to come back home with me again. At least he has a safe place to live. I drive or fly out monthly to check on him and take him to appointments.
He received oral medication prescription but he’s not taking them.
He now suffers from Anosognosia and denies any medication ever helping him at all.
He needs the injection but refuses it.
I worry daily if he’s alive and eating.
I do send food deliveries to him when I can. He receives SNAP benefits.
THE ASK
The author’s message for legislators:
How can I get him to agree to medication? I’m his only support and if I try to stand firm with him, I’m afraid he’ll push me away and then he has no support at all.
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