Conservatorship of O.R. CA3

BACKGROUND

O.R. was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type. Her history of psychiatric hospitalizations began in 2003. There were also repeated hospitalizations in 2008. Between January 2011 and August 2011, O.R. was admitted to the El Dorado County Psychiatric Health Facility (Facility) nine times. In each commitment, she had periods of noncompliance with her treatment or left without leave. Upon release from each commitment, the Facility offered her outpatient services and advised her to continue taking her prescribed medications. Each time, she failed to contact outpatient services, stopped taking her medication and decompensated, resulting in another hospitalization. Dr. Price, the medical director at El Dorado County Health Services, opined that O.R.’s history -- including noncompliance with medication recommendations, limited insight into her mental illness and impaired judgment -- rendered her unable to provide for her food, clothing and shelter needs. The Facility admitted O.R. on a section 5150 hold in January 2011. She had a history of prior hospitalizations and was diagnosed with schizophrenia, paranoid type. She believed machines were going to hurt her…