© KTUU
27-year-old Bret Bohn's parents took him to an Anchorage hospital, Providence Medical Center, in October for severe insomnia he suffered after the removal of overgrowths in his nose. Bret was prescribed medication and sent home but his condition got worse. His health subsequently deteriorated so dramatically, that the 27-year-old was not able to care for himself or make his own medical decisions. That is when Bret's parents took him back to the hospital.
Bret's mother, Lorraine Bohn, believes the medication doctors prescribed to her son made his condition worse. Lorraine requested a second opinion and a change in medical plan.
That's when the state stepped in and a custody battle broke out. The judge ruled in favor of the state - Bret is now in the custody of Adult Protective Services, and his parents were stripped of the right to visit him in the hospital. Lorraine said the family has been living in a "nightmare."
She said, "I hurt - I cry every day and every night. It's a nightmare. It's a nightmare that this even could be happening. I'm heartbroken, very heartbroken... You know, I can't help but to blame myself."
Barbara Dick, a spokeswoman of Adult Protective Services, defended the Anchorage hospital. She said, "We can't just come in and take away somebody's right and say, 'That's it.' We have to take it to court and we have our state attorneys with us and we have to have the evidence to support that."
According to officials at Providence Medical Center, who would not comment on this specific case, doctors are required to report abuse and neglect to the state. Child or Adult Protective Services then steps in.
We're screwed 200%. And I thought Child Protective Services were bad.
We should really screen doctors and hospitals before we use their services and ask them some serious questions.
Doctors can say anything they like, if they want to report you, just as long as they call it "abuse and neglect". How is that for integrity?