Providence Behavioral Health Hospital

This is a psychiatric hospital in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Be aware that there are some 'rules' to try to keep people safe - no shoelaces, no hoodie strings, etc. If you're going there, I suggest not wasting your time bringing any clothing items with strings on them because they will have to be taken out. Tooth floss is not allowed due to the small blade that is present on the container. If you shave here, you have to be observed while you do it, etc. Some of the staff members are understanding and nice, others are just doing their job. I once was asleep in my room there, and in the early hours of the morning was woken up by a nurse pulling my arm out from under the blanket who proceeded to quickly draw my blood without warning, without even making eye contact or even saying a word to me. This was kind of bizarre and unprofessional. This hospital is alright but has strict rules; Prepare to let go of all of your privacy and be observed at all times.

my mom was sent here from mercy hospital. they keep mentally ill patients in the same unit as alzheimers patients. she has been here a few days now and we haven't seen the doctor once. and only seen the social worker once. they tell us she has to be here up to 10 days to observe how far along the alzheimers has progressed.she is hearing voices and seeing things that are not there. there are very strict rules regarding visiting hours. only 2 in the am and 1 1/2 in the evenings. more on the weekends. you are not allowed to leave things in there rooms for them, just 3 changes of clothes, and a stuffed animal! they have to go to nurses station for everything. they leave no water in patients room. they have no tv's to watch in the rooms either. the mentally ill patients are very disturbed at times. i have heard the most awful screams that last for up to 6-7 minutes before they receive any care. i have heard off color remarks about the patients. i also have seen and heard patients being yelled at. these things scare my mother and affect her behavior. they won't allow visitors to visit in the patients rooms. you can not shut doors to keep screams out. they do bed checks every 15 minutes which wake her up if she's lucky enough to fall asleep. i don't agree with mentally ill and alzheimers patients being locked down in the same unit. they need different types of care. i swear if i ever was put in this place i would just kill myself. also, my mom has a hard time walking and she is expected to walk to nurses desk for everything. sometimes she just refuses so has no liquids. very bad for the elderly.

I have seen the workings of many psychiatric inpatient facilities. This hospital attends to patients like no other. They treat them with respect going out of their way to accommodate their needs. I have never seen such a kind and caring staff. The hospital is always clean warm and sanitary. The only difficulty is that referral sources are lackIng. So patients stay longer with the hospital consistently taking no pay to make sure they locate a follow up plan and often housing that the patient accepts and the doctors and staff feel will be appropriate aftercare.

DO NOT SEND YOUR LOVED ONES HERE!! They are basically left to themselves 24/7 and just staring at concrete walls. The staff works hard on keeping them sedated and out of there way. Some not all, of staff do make inappropriate comments and jokes about patient conditions thinking they don't understand there being used has the object of laughter. But I didn't notice any physical (sexual) abuse though they made it clear through suggested behavior they wanted to beat on certain patients who suffered from Bi polar disorder and other metal illnesses that really do require constant attention and not neglect or solitary emotional treatment. They do offer groups throughout the day, but most don't even understand and many don't attend do to the fact that the group are more tailored to drug and alcohol abuse or people of lesser mental illnesses where they can live near normal lives. Its unfortunate, but for the mentally ill, life is hard and full of many negatives. Some of the younger active patients would ask how come they don't have nothing to do? In reply they answered the unite has no money so just go back to your room and sleep till you leave! Unreal in my opinion. In 8 days I did not see anyone using any sanitizing agents and just wiped urine and fecal matter with plain water. Patient showers where some do have accidents is the same thing. Its sad how even in these modern days the mentally ill isn't really treated any different from how people treated them 50 years ago, like a social nuisance.