Mobile on-call duty teams are asked for
Birgitta Funkquist is member of a group in
the district Hisingen, which works with a development plan to improve
the situation for the mentally impaired. The local town district
committee always asks the working group for their opinion, which
Birgitta appreciates. But one thing that surprises her is that many
people seem to believe that living in a flat on their own is the
best thing for persons with psychiatric disorders.
- Some politicians seem to lack the fantasy
and ability to put themselves in the sick people’s situation.
Individuals afflicted with psychotic illnesses, for instance, often
lack a social network and are very lonely. To be isolated in a flat
under those circumstances, without anything meaningful to do and
perhaps with painful experiences of the illness and of medical side
effects is very hard, explains Birgitta.
 There
is also a need for mobile on-call duty teams who could turn out
in the evenings and during weekends if somebody is feeling bad.
A good cooperation with the non-institutional care when the patient
refuses to take her medicine is wished for as well. Another big
problem is that the sick person often does not want the help she
is actually offered.
- Society then is contented with the appeared
situation. I think that the social services give up too easily.
They should contact the client, come and visit her and try to get
to know her. Perhaps the ill person will then not be so afraid to
receive help. But today there is no calling activity. The relatives
try to be pushing but are often met with the answer from the authorities
that they cannot force themselves upon a person. In this way society
also evades its responsibility and the relatives must then do the
most of the job, says Birgitta Funkquist.
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