Telecare Heritage Psych Hospital

"Our Purpose: Telecare exists to help people with mental impairments realize their full potential." - from Telecare website.

Sounds great. Lets hear what Bill has to say after his 14 day forced medication stay at Oakland's Heritage Hospital(with some grammatical and writer's license taken to smooth out the story):

"Robert socks me in the side of neck and jaw. He's restrained while I staggered to my room. I'm told to take deep breaths, forget it and move on. I demand the police be called but the staff refuses. I asked for medical attention but was told I wasn't hurt, to move on and not to bring it up anymore."

"I was intensively questioned by two Social Workers asking if I was gay, was I beaten as a child, etc. I was told a doctor would be coming to see me for my injuries but that didn't happen until two days later."

"During group therapy, Alice began to strip off her clothes in front of us all, saying if she is going to be crucified, she may as well be naked. She was tackled by half-a-dozen nurses, techs and specialists.

"Due to the medications, I'm in a total daze, vision is worse than normal, swollen foot. I am suffering from mild akathesia plus some abdominal pain.

"The pay phone was jammed. Calls can come in - none out. I begged the Nurse to let me use the hospital phone.

"Alice has been screaming and yelling for several hours now. The nurse tells me nothing can be done about it, we're trying. Finally, Alice was led to her room by Techs and Nurses. Silence at last."

"I was woken at 6:15 in the morning for a blood test/exam. The Nurse calls me, sweetheart, which I don't mind but I do mind the condition I woke up IN: Stiff legs, swollen foot. I'm in a total daze from the drugging. My speech is slurred and I my voice is so wrecked I can barely talk. I can't hold a thought more than a few seconds. The staff tells me, 'We just want you better, Bill.' I am now on 10 prescription drugs, five of them anti-psychotics."

"While I was in the phone booth, Alice spat on me. I reported that to the Nurse and I was reprimanded for not staying away from Alice."

"Psych students from Chabot College file in to begin 'studying us' - complete with their 'how-are-yous'. I withdraw to my room and hope for a miracle."

"I was told by Dr. Oz that I was to be discharged. I got a voucher for a cab. I took the cab for awhile and then decided to walk the rest of way home, free as a bird. Truly, unbelievably free."

Well, sounds like Bill realized his full potential.

And apparently, so has Telecare, a for-profit organization. Cut and pasted from a newspaper article, "In 2004, Telecare corporation received $32,253,017 in Alameda county contract dollars, an increase of 20% since 2002.