Stephen Nauss spent four months struggling to get his letter to Premier Stephen McNeil finished.
But it had to be done. Because the Bridgewater carpenter felt he owed it to his 20-year-old son Anthony, who took his own life in November.
The province`s mental health-care system abandoned Anthony, he says. The letter he mailed to the premier and every MLA in the province on Monday calls on them to ``fix a failed mental health care system.``
``Since losing Anthony my life has changed forever,” wrote Nauss. “I can't bring my son back but rest assured I will try and do everything I can to make sure another parent doesn't have to go through the pain and heartache that I have to live with every day,``
(Scroll to the bottom to read the full post)
‘My son didn’t have three months’
A week before Anthony died, he had arrived at Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre distraught and suicidal. He had been to other emergency rooms in Bridgewater and Dartmouth for the same reason over the past five years, struggling with post-traumatic stress, bipolar and borderline personality disorders.
He also had a history of suicide attempts. But on his last ER visit he was sent home, says his father’s letter, “and told he would be okay and to make an appointment with Mental Health (Services).” Anthony found out he’d have to wait three months for an appointment.
“My son didn't have three months to wait and should have been helped then,” said Nauss.
Nauss has been flooded with stories from Nova Scotians struggling to access mental health services. He posted his letter to the premier and MLAs on his Facebook page and it has since been shared more than 2,500 times. Dozens left comments mirroring his son’s tragic predicament. Like him, they were being driven to seek emergency care and still couldn’t get the help they needed.
“From all of us still fighting for help, thank you for sticking up for us,” stated one comment. “I have been turned away after getting meds many times and when I called the help line they told me to take a walk.”
He especially wants the province to review and enhance how hospital emergency departments deal with people at risk of suicide to ensure people like his son get access to timely care.
Call to action
'If (my son) would have went to the ER having a heart attack they would have kept him there and treated him until he was better, not send him home to die, this makes no sense to me at all.'
- Stephen Nauss in his letter to Premier Stephen McNeil
RELATED:
Antigonish psychiatrist Dr. Ian Slayter is lauding Nauss`s efforts.
“He`s doing the right thing by targeting the government and to get people to focus on this because there are a lot of people concerned about lack of access to service, lack of psychiatrists,” said Slayter whose work includes emergency room shifts at St Martha’s Regional Hospital. “Waiting lists are longer than we like and we could use more clinical staff in general: nurses, social workers, psychologists, occupational therapists. We could use all of them.”
Slayter says ERs in the province follow a protocol that assesses for suicide risk, and which includes looking at the person’s medical record. The ER physician ultimately makes the call on whether a patient remains in hospital. But in cases where the person is deemed a serious risk follow-up care should be schedule within a week and that responsibility falls on Mental Health Services, not the patient, Slayter says.
``We do try to prioritize who are at greatest need, which should take care of everybody who has a significant suicide risk. It perhaps doesn`t happen all the time but it should.”
The Chronicle Herald inquired with the Nova Scotia Health Authority about whether there’s a protocol in place for ER medical staff to assess and treat suicidal patients and for post ER care, but those questions weren`t answered.
The Herald also inquired with the provincial government for a response to Nauss`s letter but Department of Health spokeswoman Tracy Barron declined to comment, saying the department would contact Nauss directly.
But Nauss says he wants to see the province respond to his letter with action.
“This province is in a crisis not only with mental health but health care in general,” said Nauss. “It's time for all of you to step up and do something about this instead of denying there is a problem.``
Stephen Nauss's letter to Stephen McNeil:
March 12 2019
To Premier Stephen McNeil and all the MLA's of the province of Nova Scotia.
This is my son Anthony, he was a smart hardworking full of life individual who had a huge heart and would go out of his way to help someone in need, not just friends but strangers as well, he had a bigger than life attitude and tried to live and love life to the fullest, after finishing High School early in 2016 he moved to Dartmouth where he worked at Starbucks and was recently promoted to shift supervisor, he successfully completed the American Sign Language course at NSCC in 2017 and he was presently studying to be a Paralegal at Eastern College and would have completed the course in April. Unfortunately with all that going for him he suffered from mental illness and took his own life on Nov 3, 2018 at the age of 20.
A week earlier he was feeling suicidal and was once again sent home from the ER being told he would be OK and to make an appointment with Mental Health, which was booking into January, three months later. My son didn't have three months to wait and should have been helped then but instead he was sent home to die and that's exactly what happened a week later, feeling Suicidal and knowing that it was no use to go to the hospital again he instead went home alone after work and hung himself in his bedroom, and I'm wondering why no one is being held accountable for that, who made the decision to send him home? If he would have went to the ER having a heart attack they would have kept him there and treated him until he was better, not send him home to die, this makes no sense to me at all.
NSHA CEO Janet Knox said in her letter posted on the NSHA website March 8, 2019 at 2:06 pm “Trust in providers is essential to care of mental illness” Anthony put his trust into the “providers” and that didn't work out so well did it? She also said “The suggestion that every day people seeking help are being sent away from hospitals and told to make their own decisions is not only false- it is dangerous.” Well I'm sorry Janet Knox but it is very true, my son was sent home on several occasions and the only thing dangerous about this is that it's true.
Minister of Health and Wellness Randy Delorey on March 12, 2019 said that MLA Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin's statement regarding not enough beds or psychiatrists was “categorically false”, Mr Delorey I hope none of your loved ones ever have to go to the ER for help with mental health issues and have to endure what my son had to. Back in 2016 I was there when he was brought to the ER after trying to overdose and he spent 2 nights at the Hospital, the first night to get the pills out of his system and keep him alive the second night to keep an eye on him then he was sent home the next morning, more recently after moving to Dartmouth to attend school I've learned from his friends of several occasions where he would be sent home in the morning to fend for himself instead of being admitted and getting the help so badly needed and wanted. Don't say there isn't a problem when there clearly is one.
My son fell through the cracks of a failed mental health care system, this Province is in a crisis not only with mental health but health care in general, it's time for ALL of you to step up and do something about this instead of denying there is a problem, talking in circles and not accomplishing anything. Stop wasting the taxpayers money and put it where it needs to be and start working on a solution to fix this problem for the people you were elected to represent. Writing this letter has reopened the wounds that haven't even had chance to heal yet but it is something I felt I had to do. Anthony wanted changes made to the system so let's get it done so no one else has to die.
Since losing Anthony my life has changed forever, I can't bring my son back but rest assured I will try and do everything I can to make sure another parent doesn't have to go through the pain and heartache that I have to live with every day.
Sincerely,
Stephen Nauss
Anthony's Dad
Reach out if you need help
- Halifax: 902-429-8167
- Toll-free: 1-888-429-8167
- Additional services: www.nshealth.ca/mental-health-addictions / http://www.ementalhealth.ca/Nova-Scotia/
- Kids Help Phone: (https://kidshelpphone.ca/) 1-800-668-6868
- Crisis Services Canada (crisisservicescanada.ca) Phone: 1-833-456-4566 or text: 45645
