Lucy Dunstan, a disability rights group that will change our lives, has been appointed to become an independent advocate for Kashibuba and build a compelling case as to why it’s safe to leave the hospital.
However, Kasibba’s release may only be signed by the Court of Protection, which makes a decision for those who do not have the mental capacity to make themselves.
Ms Dunstan said that when she first met Kashiba, hospital staff introduced her as an “eye gouger.”
She said she recalled looking at Kashiba through the small window at the locked door.
It was six years before Ms Dunstan first met her before calling her to tell her that she had decided she could leave the hospital. “I cried. I was delighted. Relief. Praise for her. Pride,” she said. “That’s not what I and we did, it’s what she did and what she showed them.”
Currently, Kashibuba lives in the community with the help of support workers. The support worker works with her and communicates with her in gentle touches, gestures and clear language. Her care manager said she loved fashion, was proud of her home and enjoyed social interactions.
“She has the most amazing sense of humor. She’s a beautiful person,” the manager said. “After working here about two weeks, she actually showed up and hugged me. This isn’t eye-opening.”
The mental health bill passing through Parliament means that people with autism and those with learning disabilities in the UK and Wales who have no mental health conditions will no longer be detained for treatment.
However, the government says it will not bring about change until there is sufficient alternative support for the community. And it still allows people to be legally detained in hospitals for up to 28 days for evaluation.
Jess McGregor, executive director of adults and health at Camden Council, said it was a “tragedy” that Kashiba spent most of her life in the hospital. “I’m personally sorry,” she said. “She shouldn’t have experienced what she did.”
NHS Mental Health Trast, which cannot be named to protect Kasibba’s identity, said the care it was provided was questioned and the service was not rated as unresolved by the Care Quality Committee.
The trust investigated that in the file 4, anyone rated as requiring long-term quarantine had a self-contained property with their own bedroom, bathroom, living room and garden.
The trust has been working with local authorities since 2010 to help all long-term residents discharge from hospital in order to provide better care within the community as much as possible, but said it cannot do so due to lawsuits filed by other patients’ families.
Staff then said they worked tirelessly for many years to support local authorities, introducing the necessary support in the community and successfully shutting down the service in 2023.
