HECS- Hospital Extended Care Services in WA

[Sunny]

I am an older sister to a brother who has bipolar! As a family we have tried to support him to the ends of the earth. After 25 years since he was first diagnosed, his current treating psychiatrist is recommending and putting up a case to have him admitted to HECS. They are suggesting a two year stay at Graylands which will mean he will relinquish his state government housing and be moved to a locked ward. 

My brother cycles through long periods of involuntary hospitalisation in the locked ward, he has currently been held under the mental health act for the past 3.5 months.  

Sadly it’s not unusual for this and his life has been a struggle - its  heart wrenching, terrifying and all of the emotions inbetween but I’ve always had hope for him to one day find a place where he can maintain a happy place. He is currently under guardianship and administrator but I try to support him and love him as best as I can.

our parent’s had to withdraw from him for their own mental health! And my husband is not supportive of me supporting him, plus I have my own family to support. 

So it’s been hard to process this news of him being placed potentially in a permanent psychiatric hospital under lock and key.

i wanted to ask if there is anyone who has a loved one in the western Australian system in HECS? Has it helped them, helped rehabilitate them so that they can be safe and happy in the community? 

there is little to no information that I can find on this.

thanks in advance for any shared experiences or information 🙏

[Ru-bee]

Hello @Sunny 

While you're waiting for replies I just wanted to extend a warm welcome to the forums.

We have a wonderful community here with lived experience of a wide range of hospital admissions, I look forward to seeing what experiences and guidance they may be able to share.

In the meantime I wanted to offer some acknowledgement of the difficulty of this situation that you're in. It can be so hard to know what the right course of action is. What is clear through your post is your deep care and love for your brother and wish to ensure that he is receiving the right support. Sometimes we can't be quite sure if our decisions are the right ones, though this care, and your interest in being as informed as you can be, suggests that you will be able to make the best choice available to you and your brother.

[Ladybugs]

Hi @Sunny 

I'm sorry to hear that you didn't obtain any response from your message last year.

I am in a very similar position and my brother has also been asked to attend the HECS inpatient facility at Grayland's Hospital.

It seems that very little information can be found on the internet and the care team have been rather evasive about what the facility will be like. I was surprised to read that your brother would be staying there involuntarily under the mental health act, as my brother is being asked if he would like to relocate from his current psych ward to the HECS facility (and yes he will lose his current state housing accommodation).

If you are able to share any further information about you or your brothers experience of HECS, it would be much appreciated.

Thanks