North Greensborough, Australia – James Pascoe’, 21 is a young man with severe autism and has been shackled to a hospital bed for the past two weeks. There is also a security guard present outside his room.
His parents, Bronwyn and Allan Pascoe, say that there son was shackled after authorities refused to listen to their plea for help. They have set up a change.org petition, of whom more than 25,000 people have signed. In the petition Mrs Pascoe calls on the Premier Daniel Andrews to provide more support and respite to thiose individuals with autism and their carers
The petition states that James has been shackled to a hospital bed because the ‘government is refusing to fund his support needs properly, so have abandoned him in hospital.’
“James has Autism Spectrum Disorder. We’ve worked so hard to care for him and to make sure he can live a full and happy life. But after giving up employment to stay at home, reducing our income, paying for carers, and being brought to depths of despair and exhaustion we could not imagine – we pleaded for the government to help us.”
Mrs Pasco, who is a nurse, tells that she pleaded with the Department of Human Services about her son self harming and did so in writing and over the phone, yet they received no help or support for him at home.
“We were exhausted and no choice but to demand respite care in the place that was deemed by DHS to be appropriate long term accommodation for James. However, it proved to be inappropriate due to insufficient space inside and outside for James to be able to release his energy when stressed. Although the service that provided the housing have acknowledged that they could not support our son at this accommodation with the supports recommended by DHS. DHS refuse to listen and keep trying to force a square peg into a round hole so to speak!”
The family desperately want James to return home with a proper treatment plan in place. They do not want other individuals with autism to suffer in the same way as their son.
“We’re now pleading with you, Premier Daniel Andrews. You’ve just been elected. You can stop this now – don’t let this kind of neglect from the previous government continue. We need help. “
The family ask for us to sign their petition in order to help bring James home.