REHABILITATION

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PSYCHIATRIC REHABILITATION UNIT, OSHODI ANNEX

INTRODUCTION

The Psychiatric Rehabilitation Unit is situated at Oshodi Annex. It started operations after the Second World War to accommodate the discharged soldiers who had no home to go to after the war. The Unit then was technically a convalescent home which had three (3) dilapidated buildings housing mainly long stay Patients (both male and female). Resident doctors rotated visits to the Center on a monthly basis.

Presently, the Unit has a full complement of staff, an Out-Patient/Emergency Block, Consulting Rooms, Pharmacy, Medical Records, Account and Observation Units and it is functioning on a 24 hour/7 days basis.

REHABILITATION OF PATIENTS

The vast resources present at the Annex informed the need to start Psychiatric Rehabilitation Unit; the presence of poultry, piggery expansive land and the generosity of Dr. Abraham the hospital’s Philanthropist who donated two (2) ten (10) bedded Wards (male and female) to be used as shared Residence for recovered Patients.

Individuals with Psychiatric disabilities have many of the same desires as other individuals in society – namely, to feel a part of the larger community.

Work can, in many ways, help individuals with Psychiatric disabilities achieve integration by providing a means to develop valued societal roles, reduce stigmatization, increase social connectedness and serve as a normalizing factor.

Psychiatric rehabilitation professionals play integral and valuable part in the lives of individuals with Psychiatric disabilities by integrating and implementing a variety of strategies designed to increase the community integration and independence of people with Psychiatric disabilities through successful employment outcomes.

The Rehabilitation Unit started a Community Program where adequate support was given to Patients before they are fully integrated back into the community. The support was mainly in terms of skill empowerment and Social Skill Training with adequate manpower support from School of Occupational Therapy situated inside the Annex.

Activities:

There are different types of community programs being done in hospital setting and in the community, for example:-

Shared Residence with 24-hours 7-days on-call staff
Supportive Housing leased or owned by the Hospital, with daily staff contact and support
Extended Community Service of graduates in their own housing, who have weekly staff support and on-call services as needed.

*What is suggested for the Annex is the shared residence with 24-hour on-call staff for the initial phase of reintegration of the patients with severe mental illness and residual deficits back into the Community.

The goal of this Phase will include provision of individualized coaching to support, encourage and facilitate goal-achievement related to individualized dream statements and progressive review of work within the seven domains of enhanced recovery by the staff of the unit.

Way forward:

Work and education planning and support: encouraging participation in and supporting accomplishment of 20 to 30 hours a week of work and/or school.
Self-administration of medication; to include obtaining and setting up own medication, strengthening his or her understanding of medication, and reinforcing the importance of the partnership with the psychiatrist.
Weekly meal management; to include meal planning, food purchasing, nutritional understanding, and direct support with development of cooking and individual kitchen management skills.
Personal hygiene and apartment cleanliness; to encourage maintaining a clean and organized living and work environment.
Exercise; we encourage exercise at least four times a week.
Review of goals and their achievement.
Facilitating regular appointments for individual or group therapy
Developing substance-abuse relapse prevention plan (if applicable) and developing on-going addictions support.
Regular community meeting/meals for all community members helping to create a safe and supportive arena for discussion and mutual support.
Understanding of rules and guidelines in place to provide the optimal environment and support for individual recovery.
On-call support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Transportation, either by the Hospital or through public means to markets, banks and the community.
Scheduling of weekend and evening social, recreational, and community activities.
Coordination of routine and/or emergency medical/dental care to be taught to the patients.
The patients will be discharged into the community based on the rate of learning. However, a period of 3-6 months will be the stay period of each patient.