Long-term deprivation of liberty
Treatment with
dignity
§328 AR 2014
Sufficient and
adequately
trained staff
§331 and 344
AR 2014
warmly and kindly, and this was corroborated by the interviewed residents.
160. It is necessary to have sufficient staff and, particularly, that it be
adequately trained. At the Unit for Acute Illnesses of Virgen de la Montaña
Hospital we noticed that it was understaffed- particularly in the afternoonsand that the hospital attendants were not specifically informed about
psychiatric patients. However, the nursing staff was in fact specialised in
psychiatry.
At Balcó de la Safor, the hospital psychologists arrange a quarterly workshop
for the staff, entitled “user safety”; this constitutes an example of good
practice to fight the “burnout” syndrome, by providing information on adequate
tools to handle difficult situations with the residents, applying confrontation
strategies to reduce stress and improve relations. We ascertained that there is
a good working climate at this hospital, and that its professionals form a solid
team that declared to feel at ease and well-treated.
Range of
activities
§333 AR 2014
161. The range of activities available at the visited facilities should be
updated and extended, in order to conform to the expectations and interests
of the greatest number of residents possible. In fact, several residents we
interviewed mentioned that the workshops were boring and monotonous.
There are no programmed activities at the unit for acute illnesses of Virgen de
la Montaña Hospital.
162. Rehabilitation and community reintegration is essential for the type of
patient committed to these facilities. The therapeutic association of Puerto
Rehabilitation
and reintegration Real Hospital (Cádiz) constitutes an example of good practice that should be
copied by the health services of other regions, given that its
§332 and 336
AR 2014
comprehensiveness allows an adequate rehabilitation and reintegration of
patients with serious mental disorders. Contact with relatives and the outside
world should also be encouraged, by granting leave and regular releases, and
reasonable flexibility in visiting hours, as we noticed at all facilities, except for
the unit for acute illnesses of Virgen de la Montaña Hospital, where visiting
hours (two hours in the afternoon) are strictly applied and patients cannot
have a mobile telephone or make calls, but may only receive calls within a
limited period of time. All of this hinders contact with persons on the outside.
Internet access
Furthermore, at Virgen de la Montaña Hospital (Cáceres) and Balcó de la
Safor (Valencia) patients do not have Internet access. This should be
remedied, as the use of digital supports and new technologies- under
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