Mother wants help for unwell son

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The mother of a Taranaki man who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia hopes a court order will see him finally get the help he needs.

Her son, 41, was in the New Plymouth District Court this week on a raft of charges including assault.

Judge Tony Greig told him he had not been properly looked after by the Taranaki District Health

Board’s mental health service.

An inpatient order was made under the Mental Health Act for the man, who cannot be named, to stay at Te Puna Waiora, the Taranaki District Health Board’s mental health unit, for treatment.

The man’s mother said she received a call from a doctor at Taranaki’s mental health ward this week. She was told the court had ordered her son to stay at the ward until they ‘‘get a handle on his condition and do something for him’’.

They talked about possible treatment – though in the past she has been told her son was ‘‘untreatable,’’ she said.

‘‘I also talked to them about the overall wellness of a patient. You have to treat the whole environment that the person lives in, from housing to the people he’s involved with, as well as medication.

‘‘I talked about his housing, and we need to get him removed and away from that unit and by himself somewhere.’’

He cannot live with family and needs to live in a small unit on his

TPolice are looking for two youths seen lighting a fire near New Plymouth’s Coastal Walkway, starting a fast-spreading blaze.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand were called to the walkway, near the intersection of State Highway 44, or Molesworth St, near the Liardet St intersection, about 1.50pm yesterday.

Onlookers gathered as the fire spread along the bush line, covering 20 square metres.

Fire crews extinguished the blaze, which was next to the train tracks, at 2pm.

A police media spokeswoman own, preferably with someone to check on him and take him out, she said.

‘‘I’ve had major stress events about it and so have my family. It’s always so stressful on family trying to help. I’ve had encounters with some of the people who invade his space, and I’ve been verbally abused and had to leave. And his things are always being stolen.’’

She has reached the point where, for her own health, she may have to give up fighting to get him help, she said.

Gsaid officers were called by a member of the public who saw ‘‘two young people light the fire and ride away on scooters’’.

She said police would be making inquiries.

The fire came three weeks after another blaze on the Coastal Walkway, which was suspected to have started from a discarded cigarette butt.

Fire crews were called to the fire on the walkway near Te Rewa Rewa Bridge about 11.10pm on January 5.

They spent about an hour trying to contain the blaze, which has left ratepayers with a $20,000 bill.

‘‘I’m almost 62, and I’ve been looking after other members of the family. I’ve been caring for Mum, who has just passed away. I’ve got my grandson in my care.’’

She knows there are a lot of other families in the same situation.

‘‘The mental health system isn’t geared up and isn’t expanding. They have to get more rooms, more facilities to take people to cater for their needs. I know they got funding a couple of years ago but where that funding dribbled down to is beyond me.’’