Remember most vulnerable residents

Dear Editor,

Even in the best hospitals, people scream. And this was not the best hospital. Showers icy; so cold at night we, the psych patients, piled our clothes atop ourselves in bed. I was afraid, I begged the charge nurse for help; he patronized me, dismissed me, had the doctor order me an Ativan without addressing my legitimate medical concern.

I will beg you now for your attention. At the trailing end of this pandemic, with inflation rampant and everyday life so difficult, many members of our community find themselves in need of mental health care. Some — as I did — will require hospitalization.

After the closing of Benedictine Hospital’s psychiatric unit, the shortage of beds in the Hudson Valley became acute. What inpatient care is available is often mismanaged. Overburdened staff spend only minutes on each patient. The patients — by definition in one of the worst places, mentally, of their lives — are in no shape or position to protest their neglect and mistreatment. I would have liked a hot shower. I would have liked, at least, to be clean. To be granted that minimal level of dignity.

As conditions in our community remain challenging, I urge us to remember some of its most vulnerable members. I urge the family of every patient, at home, to be vigilant: to inquire, to communicate with the hospital staff, and — if necessary — to make vigorous complaints to the patients’ legal advocates. The number for the Mental Hygiene Legal Service is (845) 483-8460. If you believe or suspect that it’s necessary — call.

— Laura Mahr-Hale,

Kingston, N.Y.