<p>Absolutely, call the police when he threatens. Have him transported to an ER. He has to be evaluated. Fill out a police report. In NY, it is against the law not to treat someone because of inablility to pay. I thought this is true for everywhere in US. Also, do not be available to take him home if they do not want to treat him. Most scenarios in ER is they discharge a patient to a responsible person(family, friend). If he is violent in the ER, there is such a thing as chemical restraints, it is lawful.
Once he is admitted they can get emergency medicaid.<br>
Even if he is only like this once in awhile, you never know what the triggers are and that is no way to live, for him or your sister. He deserves help and your sister needs to feel safe. She can also talk to the case managers at the hospital for guidance and advice and help throught the system for all the resources available to her and her son.</p>
<p>“In NY, it is against the law not to treat someone because of inablility to pay. I thought this is true for everywhere in US”</p>
<p>Depends on how you define treat</p>
<p>^The patient has to be seen by the ER MD, the patient has to be ruled out for any medical problems, alcohol and drug screens are done and the on call psychiatrist is called to see the patient. If the patient is violent, he his taken down and given a cocktail of haldol and thorazine or whatever du jour. He becomes a one on one watch and if the police are needed, they stay until the patient is restrained and under control. If the psychiatrist deems that he is a threat to himself or anyone else he is committed without the patients consent under our mental health laws.</p>
<p>That is the moral, ethical and competent way to treat the patient.</p>
<p>This my be OT, but there is no on call Psychiatrist in most general hospitals in N. California. The exception might be the VA, Kaiser, and teaching hospitals. Psychiatric hospitals are closing regularly.This is a big problem. People are going to legal systems instead. S. Cal might be different.</p>
<p>I know NY was, but I haven’t covered a New York ER in twenty years. Even then, it was a very temporary fix.</p>
<p>What is this country coming to. It is becoming such a game to receive any care. Our on call psychiatrist is a private practice physician, who is called in from the outside. They are not in the hospital per se. It can several hours for them to come in.</p>
<p>^I wonder what his/her med mal is like.</p>
<p>“What is this country coming to.”</p>
<p>Did you see the stories a few months ago about the woman filmed dead in the Psych ER at Downstate (I think. Some public hospital in Brooklyn)?</p>
<p>Patients with mental illnesses have always been treated this way, and historically, have been treated far worse.</p>
<p>^I read the articles and it is very distressing that something like that happened. OTOH, King’s County Hospital is notorious for being a horendous place. It is situated in one of the worst crime ridden, poverty laden areas, drugs and an underserved population.</p>
<p>^I guess. I was born there. But I have worked in several psych ER’s in New York. I can easily imagine that happening at some, though I’m thinking of the public ones. Anyway, my point is, I think ER’s don’t offer much to the OP in terms of sustainable solutions. At least not around here.</p>
<p>this child is not able to be controlled by his mother, so this is where foster care comes in. I have temporary foster brothers and sisters, and some of their parents had issues controlling them. Get the state involved - he will be sent to (probably) a home for troubled boys, mental health (probably not right away), or into foster care homes (probably not). Many prayers for such a sad story.</p>
<ul>
<li>sounds like a manic/depressive or bipolar isse - maybe chemical imbalance, needs a proper diagnosis from a psychologist.</li>
</ul>