A nurse restores patients’ dignity, one garment at a time

9Honey Heroes is a series that highlights the community’s unsung heroes, recognizing those who went on to help others and make a difference.

Keith Donnelly was working in place of mental health unit in Ireland when he was affected by the fact that the center did not have clothes to give patients when they were admitted to the hospital.

“I started practicing as a mental health nurse when I was 36, when I moved back to Dublin,” Donnelly tells 9honey.

He studied while working in the area mental health center when he was sent one day to look for a patient in the waiting room.

He says: “I was able to pick him out right away based on his outfit and how desperate he looked.

He had nothing to wear, only the clothes on his back, and they were fit for a barrel.

“I saw that he was going to be there for a long time and we talked afterwards and I said, ‘I’m not sure how you feel about this, but I have some nice clothes in my closet. at home that will fit you.’

“I brought them in and I couldn’t believe the change in him. You could just tell he felt confident and his self-esteem had changed. He was a year old at the step of home.”

Both here in Australia and overseas, mental health patients often arrive at hospital with only the clothes on their backs.

They may have been admitted voluntarily under the Mental Health Act, and taken to hospital by police or ambulance officers so they don’t have time to pack a bag.

They may not have family or friends to provide them with a change of clothes, and many people with mental illness do not have the money or energy to take care of their personal appearance and hygiene.

Soon, Donnelly was donating clothes to other patients, even raiding his wife’s closet.

In 2016, he moved to Sydney, Australia, with his wife and three children and got a job in the mental health intensive care unit at the Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick.

He later became the director of the 46-bed specialist mental health unit, the Kiloh Centre, on the hospital grounds.

He was shocked to find that patients were given white hospital gowns to wear during their sometimes long stays, which he said not only deprived them of their dignity but was “disgraceful. “

“I was very surprised that this is happening in Australia. That there was a lack of something very simple,” he said.

Donnelly decided to talk to the agency’s operations manager about the idea and Keith’s Closet was born in 2019.

Now a non-profit charity, it has started providing clothing, equipment, toiletries and hygiene items to mental health patients.

The first Keith’s Closet was in a 3m by 3m room in the Kiloh Centre, which had been used for something very different.

“It was put in the ‘Seclusion Room,’ which is actually a secret cell,” Donnelly said.

Donnelly says the room itself has been transformed from a “depressing and depressing” place to one that offers hope.

Inside the closet, patients can choose from many free items — something that was important to Donnelly.

He said: “I didn’t want to just give them things but give them a choice.

“We really wanted to give them dignity and make them feel comfortable.”

The wardrobe itself and new flooring were provided while the former bathroom was converted into a fitting room where patients could try on clothes in front of a full-length mirror, while pictures and inspirational quotes and on the walls.

The clothes themselves are provided. Some are new and come from retailers who may be offering end-of-season items. Some are donated by members of the public who want to give their luxury clothes a second life. o

Patients can choose what to wear in and out of hospital to help them re-enter the community.

Keith’s Closet has supported nearly 4,000 people in the past five years, but it’s not just clothes, says Donnelly.

“This is not the place to talk about your illness and your medicine. This is the way we can show it [patients] we really care about you.

Keith’s Closet has also expanded. Keith’s Closet at Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital has expanded its reach from mental health patients to those affected by drug and alcohol abuse, and homelessness.

Keith’s Closet will soon open in Shoalhaven in Sydney’s south while two more are planned for Bankstown in Sydney and Lismore in northern NSW.

In fact, Donnelly hopes to one day see Keith’s Closet in every mental health facility.

He has also launched a mobile service and last week opened a multi-purpose center in Sydney’s Alexandria, which is part warehouse, part community centre.

His next goal is to start workshops or ‘skills shops’ to help patients learn the skills they need to make a positive difference in their lives in society.

“We are trying to create a path. It may be job interviews, CVs, eating healthy,” he said.

“They could come to Keith’s Closet for the day, have their clothes updated, have a delicious lunch and do two to three hours of craft shopping.

“We help people with clothes but it’s only a short-term fix. Now we’re looking at the long term and what we can do to have a lasting impact on people.”

While most funding comes from donations, the charity recently received a $185,000 grant from NSW Health Minister Ryan Park.

NSW Mental Health Minister Rose Jackson is also a fan, having visited the original Keith’s Closet and attended the store’s opening last week.

Donnelly, who still works in mental health but has transitioned from inpatient to community mental health, has a simple reason why. started a charity.

“I’m just living the dream of helping others. That’s what it is.”