Violent Ward

Doors without inside handles give me the willies.....

Hey Grifs, you stole my willies! The doors look like they're mustering in preparation to march down the hallway.

It's interesting to me that the rooms all had windows facing into the courtyard. That is unusual and somewhat comforting to me. Due to the vast size of so many large facilities, many isolation rooms had no outside window at all or the outside windows didn't have much in the way of a view.

If you've ever worked the violent ward and had someone in a seclusion room urinate on you, throw their food back in your face, or spit or vomit through the slot in the door on you, you would appreciate the slots being located at the bottom of the door more. That probably sounds cold to some of you, but trust me - one of the few things that makes a number of staff predictably furious is having bodily fluids tossed on them, whether or not the person doing the throwing is in possession of their faculties. If anything "prompts" abuse from those staff who may be prone to do it, it is being spit on or having bodily fluids of any sort flung in their general direction. The positioning of these door slots probably saved many a person an abusive encounter, as folks were generally placed in isolation when they were the least in control of their faculties.

Spoken as a person who has had to wear their fair share of other peoples' bodily fluids. :-)

Or, they look like giant dominos waiting for someone to push the first one over...
boom,boom,boom,boom........

violent ward, with all the doors open, what a thought!!!

Thanks Lynne, it's always great when you describe situations in relation to what we're seeing. I noticed the bottoms of the doors right away and wondered ......

I can imagine the sense of isolation and the savageness that still lingers inside those rooms. Makes me want to reach out and shut every single door. Moving shot.

Grifs, you could still stick your willy out of the slot!

Anyway, since deinstitutionalization, the "violent ward" patients are now housed in prisons in similar cells...except they're locked up 23 1/2 hours a day without even a semblance of therapy!

Words of Wisdom, dear Lynne. I have had many things, spit, thrown, etc at me. Unfortunately due to some state regs, people at our facility have a free run of the place.

beyond here there be monsters.
comes to mind.

I agree with Lynne I wish all asylums had the slots like that.

what were the material of the walls, etc...can a place like this burn down in case of fire, and what of the patients confined to this handless door rooms? if staff could not reach these souls in time, they would burn to death for no way out. Of course the state hospital where I was confined for a month, they locked us in our room from eleven at night until five in the morning. then they would lock us out of our room from five in morning to eleven in morning. I feared there may be a fire duing the night and I would have no way to escape, when I was confined.

ok anything that could possably stick out from the slat at the bottom of the door that could expell body fluids would be fair game to my boots.. Call me abusive, I myself have worn every body fluid known to man ......but........yuck.. the thought of some poor lost soul that has been stuck in a little room with probibly only a bed pan and no shower for god knows how long trying to launch body fluids on me just seriously grosses me out

This is us for very violet patients that where hard to control with meds and with what little med.s they had at that time . These where not "quiet rooms " "blue rooms " "padded cells" where patients are put until they settle down after getting medication of other treatment. saddly prison now replace these rooms

wow, I am speechless, (or typeless)

Wow, so am I!

Lynne, I, too, always look forward to reading your very interesting bits of information!

you continuo to have your doors open.. but it looks fantastic anyway... love the pictures

"All security and containment personnel, report to violent ward 666 idmediately"
famous last words...^.=.^
this image just brought that into my mind. imagine just who was kept here when the place was running...maybe theyve never left home?...

I just imagine hands clawing to get out under those slots.

excellent--but doesn't it look similar to the seclusion ward ?

The slot at the bottom enables a staff member to slide a tray of food into the room without the client inside having to grab it and set it down. They could provide food for them when they are not yet ready to eat but it would be there if they wanted it later.

This is a place that no sane man would enter, if there where any patients left. The violent ward was dangerous, between those who heard voices and those who feel that killing is justified. Many staff in such a ward did not encounter a patient alone.

makes me feel the negative feelings there might be in that place....don't know why, but while this picture is so great, I don't eaven wanna know..

I am one of those people

And all the fears you hold so dear will turn and whisper in your ear

For some reason or other this picture scares the crap out of me. I don't know what it is, but it really makes me look over my shoulder. Strange. Your picture of open doors in Whittingham Hospital doesn't scare me. Maybe it's the knowledge that people who act like they savage dogs-- and can't help it--- and the doors are open-- makes me feel as if someone will jump out at me any second.

"Savage dogs?" Very enlightened.

I guess attitudes surrounding mental illness are not much more advanced than from the time these hospitals were built.

WHEN I LOOK AT ALL THIS SAD STUFF IT MAKES ME EVEN MORE THANKFUL FOR THE LIFE I DO HAVE,

I hope you packed your Haldol

These room looks too too Creepy.

I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT! PEOPLE DON'T NEED TO BE LOCKED UP FOR HELP, THEY ACTUALLY NEED SOMEONE THERE TO HELP. THAT'S WHY I WANT TO WORK IN A MENTAL INSTITUTE.

How now...you are so naive.

Really The Way They Treated Those People Back Then Was Actually The Way U Would Treat A Piece Of Dirt Three Words To Sum It Out "It Was Inhumaine!

Now where did nurse Rachet get off to and why are all these doors open? Perhaps I'll ask the interesting looking gentleman who seems to be painting that corner red.

violent people were stored not helped

These room looks too too Creepy.

I'd love to investigate here! I can only imagine the sounds and probably screams that still echo from these rooms at night (and in the day).