Emerald and Kairi
Content Warning: These stories are about violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation and may include references to suicide or self-harming behaviours. They may contain graphic descriptions and strong language and may be distressing. Some narratives may be about First Nations people who have passed away. If you need support, please see Contact & support.
Emerald, early 30s, is a First Nations woman.
In her late teens she had a psychotic episode and was admitted to hospital under an inpatient treatment order.
Doctors gave her an antipsychotic drug that is usually only prescribed after trying other medications because it can damage the heart valves.
Emerald had a cardiac episode and doctors had to restart her heart.
For the next few months, she moved between the medical ward and the mental health unit. Doctors in the medical ward would say to her mother, ‘Kairi, tell [the psychiatrists] not to give her any more [of the drug].’
Kairi told the Royal Commission the psychiatrist secured an involuntary treatment order. No-one was able to interfere with his medication order.
Emerald was scared to take the drug and would throw it away. The psychiatrist threatened her with seclusion if she did not cooperate.
Around this time the public guardian became involved and sidelined Kairi. She had no say in what happened to Emerald and believes the guardian simply agreed to whatever the psychiatrist wanted.
The psychiatrist began experimenting with different medications. Emerald started ‘becoming like a zombie’ and ‘frothing at the mouth’.
Nurses privately raised their concerns. For a short time the hospital intervened and Emerald was able to stop taking the ‘cocktail’ of medications.
She started to improve.
Against Kairi’s wishes, the psychiatrist and guardian ‘teamed up’ and sent Emerald to a mental health rehabilitation unit a long way from her home.
‘Part of rehabilitation is meant to be spending time with your family, seeing your animals and trying to reintegrate back into the family and society. None of this was done. None of it.’
Emerald was meant to be there for six months, but ended up staying two years. She became extremely malnourished, dropping to less than 50 kilograms.
‘But in that time of two years that she was in there, they continued to experiment on her, trying her out with all these different drugs. None of it worked. There were allegations of a sexual assault in there … The guardian … he was informed about the sexual assault that occurred in there and nothing was done about it. Nobody was investigated or anything like that.’
Kairi said Emerald’s guardian was disrespectful, obstructive and abusive.
He would not let Kairi attend mental health hearings, would not consult her or provide her information regarding decisions that affected Emerald. Kairi said that she ‘was at loggerheads’ with him for years.
By the time Kairi got Emerald ‘out of there’, her relationship with the guardian had ‘broken down irretrievably’.
Emerald moved to disability accommodation. She had no choice as the only other option was returning to the mental health unit.
Kairi believes the provider and the guardian are ‘in cahoots’.
The guardian refused to allow Emerald to visit Kairi, who often ran away because she was lonely. At one stage staff promised to bring Emerald for home visits, but it never happened.
Staff often prevent Kairi from visiting.
When they allow her to visit, Kairi gives Emerald money to buy the things she needs as the guardian doesn’t give her enough. At one stage, Kairi says, the guardian completely cut off Emerald’s money.
Kairi said the provider ‘lies about things’ and doesn’t provide the services they promise in their shiny brochures. No-one helps Emerald engage with the community – they just buy her cigarettes and take her to McDonald’s.
‘Leave them sitting inside a big house by themselves. No company. No rehabilitation whatsoever.’
Recently Emerald’s long-term guardian left. Kairi is yet to meet the new guardian.
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.