B.C. family who lost brother challenges hospital procedures for discharging patients under Mental Health Act
CBC
WARNING: This story contains distressing details
James Zimmer will always be remembered as a kind-hearted carpenter who dreamt of supporting people like himself who were struggling with mental illness, his family says.
"He wanted to start out with being a peer supporter," said sister Cindy Zimmer.
But the dream never came to fruition. On Feb. 9, James, 50, took his own life after being discharged from Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria, his family unaware of his whereabouts.
The family is the latest in B.C. to protest hospitals' lack of compliance with the part of the Mental Health Act that requires loved ones to be notified of a patient's admission or discharge from hospitals — something advocates claim health facilities often fail to do.
James had always willingly gone to the hospital and consented to notify the family of any plans to discharge him, Cindy says.
According to his family, James was always involuntarily held — meaning he could be in the hospital indefinitely — because of symptoms like paranoia, delusions and suicidal thoughts.
The Mental Health Act stipulates that an individual can be involuntarily held in hospital if they have a mental health disorder that impairs their ability to live in the community, require psychiatric treatment, require supervision to protect themselves or others, and if they cannot be adequately treated in a community-based facility.
Two doctors are required to sign off on the hold within 48 hours to keep a patient at the hospital.
"If [the new doctor] doesn't see that individual meets those four requirements to be held involuntarily … they discharge them," said Crystal Kenzie, another sister of James.
Section 34.2 of the act also specifies relatives must be immediately informed of a patient's admission and discharge when they are involuntarily held. The process is started upon the completion of Form 15 during the intake of a patient at a mental health facility.
According to the B.C. Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, families should be informed to protect the health and safety of the patient and for the purpose of continuity of care.
"If the primary caregiver is actively involved with the patient, then the physician is required to inform them, even if the patient has not given permission to do so," it said in a statement.
In cases when a patient does not consent to the disclosure of personal information, the ministry states only necessary information, including discharge details, can be released in order to minimize the invasion of a patient's privacy.
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