Involving family in the care, treatment and support patients receive at Ontario Shores

Mother’s story showcases the many emotions and faces she encountered during her son’s mental health journey

T here was a point during his mental illness when Pat’s son didn’t recognize her as his mother. Instead, he was a 1,000-year-old alien who had arrived on Earth from another planet and Pat was just a person taking care of him.

Pat’s journey began more than 25 years ago when her son started experiencing delusions and hearing voices. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia when he was 20 years old and began taking medication to manage this lifelong brain disorder.

Three years later, while living with his girlfriend and child, he stopped taking his medication. His behaviour became erratic. He damaged property and the police were called. He was admitted to a hospital where he remained unstable, aggressive and threatening towards staff and others, which then landed him in jail in Lindsay, Ont.

After the court found him Not Criminally Responsible for his actions, Pat’s son eventually landed in the Forensic Rehabilitation Unit (FRU) at Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences in Whitby, Ont. The FRU is a 20-bed inpatient unit that provides mental health assessments, treatments, rehabilitation and community reintegration services to patients who have come into contact with the legal system.

“A program like this, with supports, treatments and therapeutic interventions, is very important to help reintegrate patients back into the community so they can have a successful recovery — whatever that may be for them,” says Cathy Duivesteyn, administrative director of the Forensic Program at Ontario Shores.

“If individuals don’t receive the proper treatments and rehabilitative interventions there is a risk of someone becoming more unwell and coming into further contact with the law.”

Upon admission, a doctor told Pat that her son, “was the sickest person he’d seen in the last 20 years.” Pat wondered how long her son would be at Ontario Shores.

Over the next seven years, Pat’s son moved between medium and minimal security units at Ontario Shores as he underwent rehabilitation, which included different medications, psychiatric consultations and supportive programs — like anger management and woodworking.

“Everybody wants to be productive and have meaningful activities to help them to move forward, so with something like woodworking they are able to engage in an activity that is meaningful to them,” says Duivesteyn.

Pat’s son was eventually discharged to a group home, and now lives in his own apartment with continued support from professionals, including from Ontario Shores. He has not been hospitalized in four years.

When her son was admitted to Ontario Shores, he wasn’t the only one who had to adjust to a new reality. Pat and her family were on that journey, too. During her son’s time at Ontario Shores, she asked questions and was active in his treatment — advocating for family involvement about his progress.

“For families, there is a profound sense of sorrow, acknowledging that the person they once knew has transformed,” she says. “Embracing this reality, understanding that this is their new identity, requires letting go of our own aspirations and wishes.”

One day, Pat was asked to get involved in a new family council at Ontario Shores. She did. And after attending her first meeting, she found herself elected its chair.

The role of the family council is important because caring for a loved one who is mentally ill is a lifelong commitment. Based on her experience, Pat believes families should be included in their loved ones’ care, and she advocates for better engagement with families, as they possess valuable knowledge and can play a significant role in their loved one’s recovery.

Pat is now 74 and has dedicated more than 25 years advocating for her son. She realizes he still struggles— even when he might not admit it — and stresses to him the importance of taking his medication.

“It can be very challenging for families to accept the way their child now is,” says Pat, who was the chair of the family council for 13 years. “You look at your child and think, ‘Who are they going to be as they get older?’ But when they live with schizophrenia, you have to change the expectation.”

Nowadays, Pat’s only expectation for her son is that he takes his medication. That is a win.

“It’s about the willingness of people to open their minds. The families know a lot; we birthed them, raised them and take care of them when they are discharged. It’s about the end result. It’s been a learning curve, but the bottom line is Ontario Shores saved my son’s life.”

Donations help ensure that Ontario Shores can provide revolutionary care to the people who need it most. Help change the face of mental health in Ontario and beyond by donating today. Visit facesofontarioshores.ca.