Group home??? Any other options...?

[dcmckay]

I am so frustrated, upset, don't know where to turn or what to do. TM continues to be very unstable. Yesterday, following dentist appointment, got really upset as driving to school because she didn't want to go back. Opened the car door as we were driving 45mph down a very busy city street. Threatened to jump out if I made her go back to school. Closed the door when I threatened to take her directly to psychiatric hospital. When we got to school, it took 3 adults 45 min to get her out of the car. I had to miss work entire morning for an 8:30am dental checkup. Then, as I headed back to work, got a phone call from MHMR lady who has been helping us try to get TM placed in state hospital, so she can get longer-term treatment and maybe get stable on her medications. They will not allow her to go to state hospital until she has failed a lesser level of care-group home placement. MHMR director feels like this is primarily behavioral and caused by her Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). We disagree and so does psychiatrist, who is in another state 4 1/4 hrs away and cant do anything to help with state hospital placement in our state. The closest group home that will take her is over 2 hrs away and the youngest resident is 24. All of the residents are very low-functioning, compared to TM. The larger group home placement would be for 6-9 months, at which time she would "leap-frog" to the top of the list and be able to come to a closer and smaller group home (4-8 residents vs 40 at the larger home). We don't know what to do?? We know that we can't continue to keep her home with the behavior she is exhibiting, but at the same time, we feel like she needs TREATMENT, not WAREHOUSING. She has already had 9 psychiatric hospital stays in the last 2 yrs and 3 Residential Treatment Center (RTC) stays of 30 days each. Texas Medicaid does not pay for Residential Treatment Center (RTC), so going to another one is not an option, as we have maxed out our mental health benefits for her on our private insurance.

I know this is long and may be confusing, but I am so torn up right now. She is my baby and I don't want to put her into what is basically a nursing home for the mentally impaired. But I also know that we can no longer keep her safe at home.

Help!!!

 

[smallworld]

Cyndi,

So sorry things are so rough.

What does psychiatrist say about current medication mix? Can she make changes over phone or email?
What is her Zyprexa dose?
Will Texas Medicaid pay for another psychiatric hospital stay or day treatment program (partial hospitalization)?
Have you talked to anyone at Texas NAMI for advice?

 

[dcmckay]

The psychiatrist has basically tried just about every medication and medication combo, with the exception of Clozaril, and he is hesitant to put her on that because we live so far away and she would need to be seen at least every couple of weeks d/t potential life-threatening side-effects. Her Zyprexa dose right now is 30mg, which is pretty high for someone her size (5-3 and 115lbs). She has gained 25 pounds since starting Zyprexa in February, which really upsets her and just leads to more rages. Texas Medicaid would pay for another psychiatric hospital stay, if we could just find one within driving distance that was willing to take her. The next closest psychiatric hospital to us in Texas is in Dallas, about 7 hrs away. I will check in to NAMI. I'm not even sure if we have a group here.

 

[smallworld]

Is it possible that one of her medications is making her rage more?

 

[dcmckay]

She has been doing this for almost 2 years and has had multiple medication changes during that time in an attempt to control her rages. She is on completely different medications than she was 6 months ago.