I spent one week on North Two recently and learned a lot about myself mostly through interactions with the other patients. Having been to a few other rehabs, the Arbour was clearly not as ""fancy"" and the patients were a bit ""grittier"", but the staff was outstanding.
I had a fantastic psychiatrist and also had to consult with an Internal MD who was caring and concerned. My psychiatrist spent plenty of time with me and his advice was extremely helpful. However, my case worker was the only staff member that was NOT helpful and rather insulting. Thanks to the sessions with my psychiatrist I began to learn how to deal with conflicts and ""come out of my shell"".
I befriended many of the patients that I found intimidating or ""gritty"". We ended up helping each other and learning from each other. Nurses and other staff members were helpful and willing to talk when I needed it. Often staff came to me and asked if I was ok even though I was not obviously distressed (crying, etc).
Meds were given promptly and on time and if I had a problem with not feeling well, the Dr on call would be contacted and if other meds were needed, it was resolved within 15 minutes.
The only suggestion I have is that there should be more leisure/hobby/craft types of materials available. Books or magazines would be helpful as well. Fortunately, I packed some art supplies and many of the other patients and I spent time drawing during the down times. It was a good ice-breaker and if the units could have some of these items, it might make a big difference regarding patient to patient relationships.
I am grateful for the experience that I had at the Arbour...it was humbling and made me realize how selfish I had become. The distressful issues or problems came from the patients who were loud, demanding, and always complaining. The staff did the best they could, but its pretty hard to make someone change if they are unwilling....
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