Posts by Hilary Stace
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Kevin Hague gets it, in this blog post. He would be an excellent Minister of Health.
https://blog.greens.org.nz/2016/06/09/ashley-peacocks-treatment-shows-a-mental-health-system-in-crisis/ -
Paul Gibson, Disability Rights Commissioner has his say on this injustice
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11653081
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Access: Fighting seclusion with…, in reply to izogi,
Re not being able to see the room - this is Capital Coast DHB property and everything is securely locked up. So it is like not letting family into the prison cell where their son is held. They are only allowed into approved public spaces. The official reason is probably something about 'privacy' or 'safety'.
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For people new to the term I forgot to explain 'wicked' problems. This is a term increasingly used for policy problems like climate change or family violence, that are very complex and resistant to simple solutions. Disability has many aspects of 'wickedness' and Iwrote an earlier post about it.
Joe, there are some of those high needs disabled people around and living in the community. Attitude TV recently screened a documentary about an adult man and his family's fight to find him suitable housing. He now lives in a Spectrum Care (a local provider of housing and services) house in Auckland. One of the problems in Ashley's case is finding and funding an appropriate physical house. That involves Housing New Zealand or a social housing provider, and I'm not sure if they have even been involved so far.
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Access: Fighting seclusion with…, in reply to Stephen Keys,
Thanks for that story. Many of us have asked for a Ministry of Disability over the years. Instead we are stuck with a complex inter-agency structure.
By the way I hear it is very hard to get into Hohepa these days. I know several parents with adult children in that facility. Experiences and opinions vary, but it is good to hear that it works for your sister.
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This is an great example of how Parliamentary questions work. Green MP Kevin Hague, who knows his stuff, asks carefully worded questions. The Assoc Minister, who has been delegated to answer the question, falls straight into the trap of assuming a meltdown is dangerous and that that justifies the continued locking up of Ashley. He patronises the subject of the question. He has no idea that seclusion is likely to be poorly recorded, misleads about the family and the DHB working together, and when that is refuted resorts to straight out political attack.
Hopeless Associate Minister, but it is not surprising that the actual Minister of Health is too scared to front on such a serious human rights issue.
http://www.inthehouse.co.nz/video/43773 -
Fast moving story this
Paul Gibson, Disability Rights Commissioner and sometime Access blogger, has called in a UN seclusion expert
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Access: Fighting seclusion with…, in reply to Rosemary McDonald,
The collective activism started with Kim, as a mother of an autistic child, saying this is not good enough. She reached out to Ashley's parents, found out who else had had some involvement. Called a meeting which were then held regularly, drawing in some people with knowledge and expertise (also parents of autistic kids) of eg legal and policy and practice issues, and then working out how to get the message out with maximum impact. More a spontaneous than formal process. But driven by a desire to fight a significant breach of human rights.
Anyone can do it with the right motivation but it sometimes takes one person with a 'can do' fresh approach to spark things. One reason why I like young people. They haven't got old and cynical like me yet.
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Kirsty has been trying to find out about others. It was in her article today. Hard to find http://www.nzherald.co.nz/kirsty-johnston/news/article.cfm?a_id=980&objectid=11652421
Gisborne Herald has a story now
http://gisborneherald.co.nz/localnews/2338840-135/gisborne-couple-fight-for-sonBy the way Ashley is unusual among high needs autistic people in that he is very articulate. Most are non verbal or barely verbal. Which indicates that in different circumstances he could express himself and be listened to.
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Access: Fighting seclusion with…, in reply to Peter Davis,
There are several other people in New Zealand with a similar 'level' of autism to Ashley. Many of them live in houses in the community. Some live alone with rostered carers and some live with one or two others and some level of care. Some still live with often ageing parents who understand and respond to their needs and are alert to the subtle mood changes. Ashley is a particularly sensitive person who has had a particularly bad deal from the system over many years. My observation that his mental health has deteriorated over that time, as it would for anyone. So his behaviour appears 'bigger' than it is.
As his father says in the Seclusion documentary he could safely and happily live near nature and animals, but it is people who cause his problems. He could even set a little business selling the exquisite fishing flies he makes
What I would like to see is the state apologise to him and his family and also deal with the effects of long term trauma. For example, a specially trained assistance dog would be great for him.