METH PATIENTS GET A WING OF THEIR OWN

New 15-Bed Facility To Ease Strain On Psych Emergency Ward

A new psychiatric-care wing at St. Paul's Hospital will change the
way patients with methamphetamine-induced psychosis and other mental
illnesses are treated.

"There is nothing like this in all of western Canada," said clinical
psychiatrist Dr. Bill MacEwan during an exclusive tour last week of
the 15-bed, $2.5-million facility. The wing is due to open within weeks.

"They've done a really great job," said MacEwan as workers put the
finishing touches on the unit. "It's the nicest ward I've ever seen."

It will cost about $3.9 million annually to operate the wing with six
double and three single rooms. Once it's up and running, St. Paul's
will have a total of 48 mental-health beds.

MacEwan, who works extensively with patients suffering from
meth-induced psychosis, said the ninth-floor wing will address all
areas of a patient's life.

It will also help alleviate growing wait times for patients in need
of mental-health care.

St. Paul's averages 10 patients a day in the psychiatric emergency
ward who don't get a bed. Instead, they clog up the emergency ward
while waiting for their turn for a bed. About half of those patients
are "concurrent," meaning they have a psychiatric disorder as well as
a drug addiction.

Meth is currently the most prevalent of the drugs seen, said
Mac-Ewan. It can be tremendously damaging to the brain.

MacEwan said an average of one in every five meth addicts will end up
experiencing some level of psychosis. Many will become what he calls
"frequent flyers" in the psych emergency ward -- those who return
time after time.

Recent studies show as many as 73 per cent of street youth have used
the drug at least once.

Psychosis is basically a loss of touch with reality, characterized by
illogical thoughts and behaviours.

Meth's neurological effects can last anywhere from six months to a
lifetime. The drug is known to induce schizophrenia.

With just four "quiet rooms" and four stretchers, the psych emergency
at St. Paul's often becomes a holding area for meth addicts and other
patients for up to a week, said MacEwan.

"That's really not good," he noted, adding that the spectre of being
lodged with intensely ill people is hardly an inducement for the
mildly sick to come in for care.

Many patients who show up at the psych emergency have no interest in
being treated, let along entering a drug rehabilitation program, MacEwan said.

Staff will offer a multi-pronged approach to care -- addressing the
mental illness, helping patients tackle their addictions and teaching
them basic life skills so they can cope better in the community.

Patients will get help finding accommodation through a number of
partnerships with low-income and subsidized housing providers.
Employees were taken on an orientation tour of the housing options
earlier this month.

"The moment they walk in the door, we're already starting discharge
planning," said David Byres, Providence Health Care's director of
mental-health programs. "We want to be as efficient as possible."

There is also a training kitchen with a dining area to teach the
patients how to cook.

The ward is bright and airy, with extra-wide hallways and soft
lighting. Each room features a different-coloured square at the door,
like a welcome mat. The squares help confused people remember where
their beds are, said MacEwan.

Windows are reinforced with a lexan shield. Some walls are
essentially huge wipe boards where patients can draw and write at
will. A big-screen TV is on order for a relaxation area in the main lobby.

Security has also been increased. A double-door system complete with
cameras should keep dealers out, said MacEwan, noting that drug
peddlers are not unusual in the existing psych emergency ward. Some
even pose as pizza-delivery guys to make their sales, he said.