An autistic woman who was held in seclusion by a “horrific Victorian care package” has made a start in a new home.
Bethany was left “utterly institutionalised” following her 22-month stay at Northampton hospital St Andrew’s Healthcare, says dad Jeremy.
Bethany going into her new home after seven years in a hospital
But after seven years in hospital care, Bethany, 24, moved into her own home last weekend with round-the-clock support.
Excitement and nervousness
Jeremy, from Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, says he and his daughter are feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness.
Before her lengthy hospital stay, Bethany saw 17 educational and community placements fail in six years.
Jeremy, who does not want to reveal his surname, said his daughter’s experience of community living had always “let her down”.
But he said the detailed planning that has gone into her latest move gives him “a lot of confidence that it will work”.
260-mile trip to see daughter
Before this move, the father spent years travelling up to 260 miles to see his daughter. Before her new start, she lived in a hospital run by Mersey Care in Whalley, Lancashire.
Her new bungalow is just a couple of miles from her father’s home.
Jeremy said his daughter’s quality of life at Mersey Care was exemplary and the organisation had made every effort to ensure the transition was successful.
Kept in a ‘cell’ and fed through a hatch
He began campaigning for his daughter when she was sent to St Andrew’s.
Bethany, who also has a mild learning disability, spent long periods in segregation at the hospital. The institution kept her in a “cell” and fed her through a hatch.
Jeremy has admitted that sometimes Bethany lashed out at staff before the hospital secluded her. However, he insists she was denied therapy to help regulate her emotions.
He said trauma is still “evident“ in Bethany and she is having to adjust to the autonomy she has in her new home.
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Published: 21 January 2024
