A couple months ago I wrote about backpacking through hostels in Australia, Hostel Life: Tips for making the most of your hostel experience... The inspiration for this article came from my own personal hellish experience in St. Kilda, Melbourne.
Mere weeks after publishing that blog entry, I heard on the radio there was an investigation the Australian media was looking into; mental patients were being sent to tourist backpacker accommodations. I had a little giggle, and forgot about it since I never heard of it again...until I came across this article today: turns out, it was confirmed!
In Canberra, ACT Australia homeless people recovering from mental illnesses are being sent to backpacker accommodations as a sort of 'remedial housing.'
The government claims they're better off in hostels, rather than in-patient hospital facilities where space is limited.
How is that possible?! Let's think security and stability...I would think that a recovering mental patient would require both, and none of these are really available in hostels. Loud noises, disruptive behavior, thieves, fighting, crowds...I'm talking about the backpackers here, not the patients!
I honestly think that hostels are like college dorms, and 20 year old backpackers on a drinking binge are a major threat to any kind of patient's recovery. And on the other hand, if I was unknowingly sharing a facility with mental patients I would have been outraged! Would this not pose a threat to us, the tourists?
My last roommate was a sleepwalker who had a tendency to leave the gas stove on all night...that was dangerous enough.
There's a larger issue at hand here, the lack of adequate housing and care for mental patients. They seem to be marginalized from society worldwide, and while hospital treatment may not be the best for long-term care, more needs to be done to create proper facilities and homes supplied with trained staff to provide care and safety. This whole mess just seems irresponsible on behalf of the Government and Australian Health Services.
Read the full article here: ABC News, Mentally ill homeless sent to backpackers.
Have you ever heard of anything like this before? Do you agree, or disagree?
