New Liberty Protection Safeguards will prioritise timely care of the vulnerable - Simon Wessely

That is a terrifying story, @Peter Trewhitt. Poor woman. If what they did was legal, then it really shouldn't have been. I don't understand why suspected criminals have the right to representation, whereas people who've clearly done nothing wrong have no right to an advocate when decisions like this are made about them.

I worry too about people deemed incapable of consent because of mild intellectual disabilities. Its often just assumed that they are incapable of making any decisions about their welfare and future under any circumstances - when in fact, they may be able to contribute, if provided with a good advocate who takes the time to explain the issues to them.

 

How much does this tie in with Michael Sharpes latest venture?
https://www.s4me.info/threads/the-home-study-michael-sharpe-s-cbt-for-the-elderly.2499/

 

I've also wondered about this. Patients who are sufficiently impacted by confusion or dementia that their inpatient stay may be prolonged for that reason are going to provide informed consent to participate in the HOME Study?

I would have thought those who are not impacted or are somewhat impacted by confusion or dementia but have capacity to provide informed consent, are much less likely to have their hospital stay prolonged as a result of confusion or dementia in the first.

 

Seems UK is heading in the direction of Germany. This is so troubling!

It's always similar: "We are SO concerned about the vulnerable [we define who's useless - sorry, vulnerable], therefore to make treatment better we need to take away, sorry, restrict their basic rights. We'll take a close look at the situation in order to carefully come to a decision; limiting one's liberty will remain the exception." UN human rights comission critisizes this practice harshly, but who cares? Who needs basic human rights at all?

In Germany, uncountable examples show that decisions are not carefully made, there is no care at all, and there is a high degree of abuse.
As always, there are some pleasant exceptions.

One has to understand, after incapacitation a human being is not viewed as a human being anymore, you have legally no will and nobody has to care about what you say or want.

 

In the mid 1990s I did a lot of work on advocacy and equal opportunities for people with communication disability with Social Service staff in Sheffield. There were fantastic developments and a real will by service managers to empower those without a voice. However, with the onset of cut backs and the deliberate appointment of managers willing to dismantle services, the will and the opportunities to empower people needing communication support have faded.

There have been similar cultural changes in health, possibly also corresponding with the growth of psychosocial models of ME and the willingness to disregard the patient experience. Certainly in health in the late 1990s and since, an ability to disregard the views of staff and service users has become an asset for service managers and planners.