MacKinnon House

I was in there fior 2 weeks..big eye opener , I was admitted due to the death of my father, I shared a ward with 2 young girls 19/20 they had eating disorders….they had nurse male / female watching them 24/7 followed constantly even to bathroom..when lunch & dinner served..these 2 girls and another girl she’s was very sick was in the dining room with all other patients….Absolutely terrible they should be in another dining room to eat ..and when everyone sat down to eat you have 4 or more nurses watching everyone like we was in prison, it felt like prison..It was terrible and heartbreaking, male nurses sitting at the bottom of girls aged 19-23 watching them constantly..this young girl tried to run away she was next to me in dome,Know if she’s in a ward at any time there is nowhere she can escape Soo why do they not sit a chair outs side dome at door ..male nurses watching her sleep ,I couldn’t sleep due to nurses in dome talking to the staff that sit on chair watching..talking loud about patients,what been happening etc when they could wait till morning..no this was midnight,6am in morning,I struggled to sleep after my daddy passed away so I got a sleeping tablet at 9 when meds given..how is this helping me when I just doze off and then woke up ,I could tell you soo much more I saw ,Doctor assessed me after 2 weeks and asked how’s things ..I said I want out here or I will end up very sick , I saw patients come in to the wards some of them just a bit confused due to life and age ,I met a lovely man 69 he was and each day he was getting worse ( talking of his t shirt in front of staff and they laughed) I was a carer for 18 years and it was me that said oh you can’t strip in here “jokingly “ and helped put back on ,I saw nurse talk terribly to patients that was very confused and would pick up fruit bowls then drop ,they got told -look at the mess leave bowl alone and sit down ..this man was unbelievably a very nice ,funny man but each day he was getting worse..some patients slept all day I mean always don’t know what drugs they was feeding them ,I wouldn’t have got better if it wasn’t for the patients and that’s truth ,if I was crying it was patients coming to me to support and I would do same ,I was getting different medication some nights I had to say wait a minute what’s this ,same medication but different doze and I had been in there 2 weeks ,I was getting my meds at different times to how I took at home for 10 years the side affects of my medication is very bad I get like palpitations pins and needles,so at home I took my antidepressants 10 mins after I wake up ,I woke most mornings at 6/7 am due to doors getting slammed staff talking loud in or outside domes ..and I had to wait till 9am for my antidepressants,I was crying telling them but nobody would listen ,my other meds was ask when required painkillers,at home as my doctor prescribed take 2 tabs 4 times a day ,first ward Struan I was admitted to they said it’s every 6 hours take x2 ..then I moved ward just as I got settled in ward meeting all staff and patients, was moved to Armidale ward they said no it’s every 4 hours ..few days later I asked for my painkillers and nurse said you can’t get just now ,I said “it’s been 4 hours am in pain “..she said it’s every 5 hours . This needs to be sorted ,patients are in for months and the close bedrooms 10-12/2-4 everyday for patients to interact etc ,who do they have to interact with when most lying on couch’s sleeping. My experience was HEARTBREAKING and I made a lot of very good friends that was patients not 1 nurse .