Travis G.
Death in Paradise
I almost died here. I felt like I aged 5 years the few days I was there. This is the MOST morally bankrupt facility I have ever had the misfortune of staying. There is ABSOLUTELY NO REGARD FOR HUMAN LIFE. The rugs and couches and beautiful facility is more important than you actually staying alive. Whoever says there is a nurse on staff or anyone with even basic pharmacological knowledge there IS !!!!!!!!!LYING!!!!!!!! Other patients told me that the police had investigated the place. If I asked for two acetaminophen pills, LITERALLY no one there would know what I would be asking for. They would probably bring me an antacid. I take that back . . . there were a few intelligent patients who had more medical training than the staff at the house. And they are as powerless as I to get outcomes that are LIFE AND DEATH requirements. They don't know what a hypertensive crisis is or what the protocol is for one. I remained in one for 6 days and even had to go to the ER. This is AFTER I asked the psychiatrist for a benzodiazepine so I could sleep because my blood pressure was getting out of control. He wrote the prescription BUT I COULD NOT GET IT FILLED WHEN I NEEDED IT. My wife said she sent money. They said there was no money etc. I had sustained blood pressure north of 165/125 and eventually had to go to the ER to get two valium pills WHEN I HAD ALREADY BEEN WRITTEN A PRESCRIPTION FOR ATIVAN AND COULDN'T GET IT. They WILL let someone die there. They don't know that you need a benzodiazepine if your blood pressure is 170/130 to keep from having a stroke and if your vitals get in that range all that will happen is a bunch of whispering among staff in the hallway. Or you will be diverted to some corrupt doctor who should admit you to the hospital to check your kidneys etc just based on your vitals who will stand at the back of the room and not even introduce himself. I have Aspergers and a tremendous amount of medical knowledge. There was the medication required to stabilize my condition there and no one but ME even knew what was needed and I was denied access to it. And even had to go to the Emergency Room to get two valium pills when I had a prescription for Ativan written for me but could not get it filled. They won't give you heart medication when you need it . . . and they want you to be cool calm and collected while you are at risk of having a stroke and no one there has the mental capacity to even recognize the urgency. You ask for your beta blocker and then someone will walk away and start sweeping the floor. I have situational hypertension. I.E. if I have no stress at all I have no blood pressure issues. If I am under day to day life stress I have to take a beta blocker called Propranolol 20mg 3 times a day. If stress gets more intense I have to supplement Propranolol with Benicar. I did not sleep for 7 days while I was there. I could not get adequate medication I needed EXTREMELY URGENTLY in anything that resembled a timely manner. The staff is utterly and completely oblivious to medical conditions and blissfully unaware of what is a medical emergency or are too corrupt and concerned about their jobs to act even in the face of LIFE THREATENING SITUATIONS. After being in hypertensive crisis for 6 days, going to the Emergency room for two valium pills and fighting to get supplemental BP medicine I began to realize the significant danger I was in. I would have to get my self worked up to the point of literally having a stroke to get someone to stop what they were doing and give me heart medication. I told them to drop me at the police station or take me into LA and just drop me on skid row. I went to pack my things and they contacted the police and the police then took me back to the Emergency Room.