Navinki overcrowded: dementia patients sent to streets

Dementia patients are being promptly discharged from the Republican Theoretical and Practical Center for Mental Health.

One of the hospital’s workers informed the charter97.org web-site on the conditions that he remained incognito.

“I want to turn your attention to the problem that has appeared literally the day before. By the instruction from the Prosecutor General’s office they are discharging paying dementia patients from the Mental Health Center Navinki. It is for the “joy” of their neighbors and relatives. There are no other options but to quit working for the families of dementia patients. Although even this option will not save the neighbors from the old people’s extravagance. Minsk’s nursing homes are overcrowded. The period of a patient’s placement takes up to three years. The only salvation for families for the placement into the Mental Health Center, but something happened”, - the letter says.

Dementia is a severe intellectual disorder, which a person acquires as a result of an illness or brain injury or other damage. It is typical mainly for elderly people.

The hospital’s administration refused to comment on the letter, referring to the fact that the data on patients were confidential. They only told the charter97.org web-site that usually a therapy course for dementia patients takes about a month. However, in some cases such patients may stay much longer.

We managed to find out about the details of dementia patient treatment from another employee of the center.

“Altogether there are several dozen dementia patients at the Mental Health Center, not more than fifty. They are sent there by relatives in the case of alcohol or substance abuse. The hospital has the right to refuse the patients to stay after the treatment term expires, which actually usually takes not more than a month. Considering that the Mental Health Center may be overcrowded, the administration has the right to take the decision to discharge patients”, - the establishment’s employee told.