Families `being Destroyed'
The Age
Wednesday October 20, 1993
A family on the edge: this week, Roma and Clive Drummond, of Croydon, have spent several nights without sleep, trying to get their 35-year- old son, Ross, admitted to a psychiatric hospital. The Drummonds have not had a holiday in 10 years. They are exhausted, angry and frustrated about having to cope alone with their son's severe schizophrenia. ``Families are just being destroyed and broken up because there is nowhere for their child to live with adequate 24-hour support," Mrs Drummond said. ``What is going to happen to our son when we are no longer here?" Mrs Drummond has set up a self-help group for family carers through the Schizophrenia Fellowship. She disagreed with the Health Minister, Mrs Tehan, who said on Sunday that she was confident Victoria's institutions now provided adequate services. ``They continue to close wards in the hospitals before they have services in the community," Mrs Drummond said. ``There are still great difficulties. You're up all night trying to get your child into hospital, but by the time you have turned around and come home they're out again. One boy that we know of was put into a special accommodation house. He had to share a room with an old man who was incontinent. That boy ended up under a train."
© 1993 The Age
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