Serene Country Living established to keep Mount Gambier’s mental health patients out of hospital
They’ve seen the inside of hospital wards pushed to the limit and now two nurses are on a mission to battle Mount Gambier’s mental health crisis.
Mount Gambier
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Witnessing the never-ending cycle of admission and relapse in Mount Gambier’s faltering mental health system, motivated two nurses to take action.
Mondays were the busiest.
It wasn’t uncommon for Mount Gambier Hospital’s six dedicated beds to be full, another 10 patients overflowing into medical beds and the emergency department under pressure with non-urgent patients who did not know where to turn, according to Sibi Thompson.
When she arrived in Mount Gambier last year as an agency nurse, Ms Thompson was unsure she was going to stay but after discovering a “massive gap” in mental services she knew more could be done to stop the cycle.
“I worked on the ward and saw us discharging to caravan parks, clients coming and we were getting them better, then we were sending home to sit, doing nothing until another relapse happens,” she said.
“Surely we can do better.
“We wanted to bridge that gap where we provide long term services and monitor these people so that they don’t have to go back into hospital.”
Ms Thompson joined forces with colleague Kavitha Palanimalai, both leaving the hospital to establish Serene Country Living – a service they believe will better suit the region’s needs.
“We thought we both can merge together and bring some change to the community,” Ms Palanimalai said.
“We need it in Mount Gambier, there is a lack of service, there is a gap so we definitely need it.”
Both are experienced mental health nurses – Ms Palanimalai starting her career in India and also specialises in paediatric, neonatal ICU and dementia care.
While Ms Thompson has 30 years experience, beginning in Scotland where she rehabilitated people from asylums back into the community, and has also worked with prisoners and defence forces.
Located on the outskirts of Mount Gambier with a backdrop of grazing cattle and open green fields, the assisted living accommodation will offer four beds, a day service catering for 150 people a week and a 24-hour check-in service.
Set to open next month, it will provide short term, crisis and respite care for people living with disability including autism and spectrum disorders and acquired brain injuries.
While Ms Thompson said the day centre will allow staff to pick up on any deterioration in mental health before it reaches crisis point.
“We can support you before things get worse,” she said.
With long wait times for local counselling and psychiatrist, Ms Thompson said three nurses will be available face-to-face with more via telephone and video call to provide mental health assessments around the clock.
It’s not the first time South Australia’s second largest city’s struggling mental health services have come under scrutiny.
Earlier this year Adam Scott-Gilbertson shared his experience with alcohol addiction and attempted suicide in hopes of increasing access to alcohol rehabilitation services in the region.
While mental health and hospital funding topped the South East’s wish list when Premier Steven Marshall visited in April.
Limestone Coast Local Health Network chief executive Ngaire Buchanan said the hospital faced the same staff recruitment and retention challenges felt across Australian’s rural and regional heath facilities but was committed to treating as many mental health patients locally as possible.
“Mount Gambier Hospital has a six bed acute inpatient mental health service, with general hospital beds also utilised to ensure patients can receive treatment close to home,” Ms Buchanan said.
“We also provide an Intensive Community Program to provide a step down treatment from hospital, with support available in the community.
“Where possible all mental health consumers are treated locally, including those being treated under the Mental Health Act on an Inpatient Treatment Order.
“Mental health patients may be transferred to Adelaide when they require a psychiatric intensive care bed, or if they display challenging behaviour that is assessed as not being able to be managed safely in Mount Gambier.”
Serene Country Living is awaiting NDIS registration and can currently accept people on NDIS self-managed plans or those with a planning manger.
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