On #PDAday 2023, BBC News published an article about a 16-year old autistic girl who had been held on an inappropriate hospital ward for about 200 days because there was no space available in a unit that could meet her needs. She often had security guards stationed outside her room in an effort to keep her and other patients safe.
The article makes for very difficult reading. Experts agree that it was not the right place for her but they had nothing else to offer. She was admitted to hospital because of an eating disorder but she describes the experience as “living in hell” and “it feels like they’re torturing you”. She was overwhelmed by the loud, bright, busy, hospital environment. Far from helping her, this environment was making things far worse.
Nobody should have to go through “hell” simply to access treatment. Nobody should have to fight tooth and nail for the support they need (or have parents fight for them). There are issues of fundamental human rights here but, perhaps more importantly, this is an issue of love and care for a fellow human being. At a very basic level, how can you possibly engage with a course of treatment and begin to feel better if you are constantly feeling unsafe and under threat?
For many, of course, a hospital ward is a safe environment. Those who work in wards are not bothered by the constant beeping of machines, the cries of other patients, the smell of antiseptic, the harsh lighting or the many other things that are a normal part of their everyday lives. It can be confusing, then, when they meet someone who finds that environment unsafe and harmful to their health. It is not easy to see things from another’s point of view but it is essential that those who seek to help can do this. Without understanding, it is all too easy to unintentionally cause harm.