It's very frustrating. I can't seem to get help. I try all sorts of tricks, because I've been at it a long time. I can call and I rather beg people to take patients.
I have a situation with a fellow who is 33; he can't get help. His mother and I were on the phone. The father's a veteran; he's a patient, and the son is a patient. I'm going to beg a psychiatrist to see him, but I've also made my plan with the mom, and we decided that what I would do is start him on medication. It would just be nice to get a psychiatrist to confirm the things that are wrong with him, but I'll go ahead with it on my own anyway.
That's the way it is. Sometimes I can get the psychiatrists who are working for VAC to see somebody. I have a situation right now with somebody who was a medic in the military. [Technical difficulty—Editor] severe illness, had four strokes, and we're having a terrible time getting him registered with VAC.
It's just not happening. It's been four or five months, and he's fallen off the wagon, and everything's deteriorating. There is a psychiatrist involved, but we just don't seem to be getting help. Again I'm dealing with his family. I'm dealing with his sister; I'm dealing with other people in his family, because he lives alone. It's a horrible situation. His ex-wife is helping me. Everybody is contributing, but we're not moving forward.
This happened in June. Why isn't he into VAC now? Why hasn't he been registered? We started this in September when he was released from hospital. I don't understand it.
These are the frustrating bits. I will go anywhere for help, and Gerry knows that. I will go to other systems to get help. I'll go through the public system; I'll go through other VAC; I even get veterans to help other veterans. I call on them to help with a situation, if we think somebody needs to be babysat or we're a little bit worried about suicidal ideations.
We work on it. That's what I'll say.