Cured but alone, mental patients find family in old age homes
Priyangi.Agarwal@timesgroup.com
Bareilly: 23.02.2019 TOI
Thousands in the country cured of their mental illness but forced to stay at institutes for such patients as they have been abandoned by their families and have nowhere to go might just have a home now.
In a novel experiment started in Bareilly, which has one of India’s biggest mental hospitals, five such men have now been housed at an old age home. A separate rehabilitation centre has been set up at the old age home for these persons. Authorities at the hospital told TOI that depending on how this goes -- the way these men adjust -- the system could be replicated across UP and perhaps beyond.
At the Bareilly Old Age Home, sitting on the lawn and basking in the winter sun, 50-year-old Umesh, a former patient from Badaun admitted to the mental hospital in 2014, tells a group of fellow residents that he has been worried about the wedding of his oldest daughter, an engineering graduate. What he doesn’t say is that his family left him a long time ago, and it is likely that his “little girl”, with who he last spoke in 2016, is already married. But he is happy. “I like it here,” he said, smiling. “I have friends and we laugh and play together.”
After TOI in 2016 highlighted the plight of nearly 60 cured inmates of Bareilly mental hospital who were forced to live in the institute as their kin didn’t want them back, Delhi-based advocate Gaurav Bansal filed a PIL in the Supreme Court for the rehabilitation of such patients in 43 such hospitals across the country. In 2018, the apex court directed states and UTs to submit a status report on steps taken by them towards that end.
“Our medical board had repeatedly termed these five males fit for discharge. We wrote several letters to their families and tried to contact them but there was no response. We might send more cured patients to the old age home, depending on the response we get from these five expatients,” said Dr Pramila Gaur, director of the mental hospital.
Chandan, 62, from a small village in Tehri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, had spent 18 years at the mental hospital. “This new place is much better. At least I get respect and can walk around. At the mental hospital, we were locked up in our ward and let out only to eat,” he said. Chandan has even made a “sister”, 71-year-old Savitri from Haridwar who lives at the old age home. The two Garhwal natives sing folk songs together and play board games.
“I try to make Chandan and the others realize that they should accept circumstances and reality. The old age home has many facilities, and they should start considering it their home,” said Savitri.
Then there is Ramesh, 50, who is generally quiet and keeps to himself. “I spent 14 years at the mental hospital. I earlier used to miss my family but not anymore. I am a bachelor and I know my siblings do not want me back. People here are my family now,” he said.
Kishan Lal, 63, a farmer who has been living in the old age home for three years, is liking it too. He has become good friends with the five cured patients. “When they came here, I was scared of them as I thought that they may become aggressive or violent. After about 10 days, we started talking and I realized they are just like us,” he said.
(Names of cured patients have been changed)
This new place is much better. At least I get respect and can walk around.
At the mental hospital, we were locked up in our ward and let out only to eat
—Chandan A cured patient
Priyangi.Agarwal@timesgroup.com
Bareilly: 23.02.2019 TOI
Thousands in the country cured of their mental illness but forced to stay at institutes for such patients as they have been abandoned by their families and have nowhere to go might just have a home now.
In a novel experiment started in Bareilly, which has one of India’s biggest mental hospitals, five such men have now been housed at an old age home. A separate rehabilitation centre has been set up at the old age home for these persons. Authorities at the hospital told TOI that depending on how this goes -- the way these men adjust -- the system could be replicated across UP and perhaps beyond.
At the Bareilly Old Age Home, sitting on the lawn and basking in the winter sun, 50-year-old Umesh, a former patient from Badaun admitted to the mental hospital in 2014, tells a group of fellow residents that he has been worried about the wedding of his oldest daughter, an engineering graduate. What he doesn’t say is that his family left him a long time ago, and it is likely that his “little girl”, with who he last spoke in 2016, is already married. But he is happy. “I like it here,” he said, smiling. “I have friends and we laugh and play together.”
After TOI in 2016 highlighted the plight of nearly 60 cured inmates of Bareilly mental hospital who were forced to live in the institute as their kin didn’t want them back, Delhi-based advocate Gaurav Bansal filed a PIL in the Supreme Court for the rehabilitation of such patients in 43 such hospitals across the country. In 2018, the apex court directed states and UTs to submit a status report on steps taken by them towards that end.
“Our medical board had repeatedly termed these five males fit for discharge. We wrote several letters to their families and tried to contact them but there was no response. We might send more cured patients to the old age home, depending on the response we get from these five expatients,” said Dr Pramila Gaur, director of the mental hospital.
Chandan, 62, from a small village in Tehri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, had spent 18 years at the mental hospital. “This new place is much better. At least I get respect and can walk around. At the mental hospital, we were locked up in our ward and let out only to eat,” he said. Chandan has even made a “sister”, 71-year-old Savitri from Haridwar who lives at the old age home. The two Garhwal natives sing folk songs together and play board games.
“I try to make Chandan and the others realize that they should accept circumstances and reality. The old age home has many facilities, and they should start considering it their home,” said Savitri.
Then there is Ramesh, 50, who is generally quiet and keeps to himself. “I spent 14 years at the mental hospital. I earlier used to miss my family but not anymore. I am a bachelor and I know my siblings do not want me back. People here are my family now,” he said.
Kishan Lal, 63, a farmer who has been living in the old age home for three years, is liking it too. He has become good friends with the five cured patients. “When they came here, I was scared of them as I thought that they may become aggressive or violent. After about 10 days, we started talking and I realized they are just like us,” he said.
(Names of cured patients have been changed)
This new place is much better. At least I get respect and can walk around.
At the mental hospital, we were locked up in our ward and let out only to eat
—Chandan A cured patient
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