Where does one find patient records from a defunct mental

[hickman]

hospital? My grandmother died in Northville State around 1964. How do I find her patient records?

[hickman]

1. Unashamed kick. Come on! Somebody has to know.

The woman had a crappy life and died in an Asylum. I just need a point in the right direction. Please.

[Omphaloskepsis]

6. Hopefully this information is never public..

I feel for you. But, some things need to be kept private. You could try contacting the hospital. I doubt they would tell you anything. It was so long ago I doubt google would help. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 limits this kind of search. I wish you the best.

[hickman]

13. She was widowed during the depression,

moved herself and her 4 kids in with relatives and worked her ass off. 2 years later she bought a 2 flat home and continued to work her butt off all her life. I want her records because that's all thats left. I know all the stories of why she was committed. Nobody in my family even remembers her. It's time.

[hickman]

2. Nevermind. n/t

[Floogeldy]

4. No shit.

42 year old medical records. I don't think so.

[hfojvt]

9. I have a great great grandmother who died in 1900

in a state mental hospital. A cousin had information from somewhere that said she drowned in a bathtub, and not from old age, although she was 70. I do not know where she got that information. She might have made it up, or it could have come from a death certificate or an old letter talking about the incident. She also had letters from her great grandfather who died in the civil war.

[hickman]

19. hfojvt, wouldn't it be nice to know?

Those who don't know their history are doomed to repeat it. My Grandmother was most likely suffering from Alzheimer's. She was found wandering down her street in Detroit in her nightgown. I know why she landed in Northville. I'd like to know what happened to her during her stay.

[hickman]

14. I said nevermind because I was going to bed. n/t

[KitchenWitch]

3. Perhaps you could try to contact the nearest currently open

state hospital to try and track the records down.

[Floogeldy]

5. Oh they better have a hell of a big old and dry basement.

;)

[Quantess]

7. have you tried contacting that facility?

You will probably need to prove you are kin, --maybe the closest of surviving kin--, when you ask how you can locate her records.
Start by asking Northville State.

Good luck.

[hickman]

15. The facility is de funked. It got Englered.

Apparently DCH, another Englered department took charge of the records. I don't think I'm going to find anything.

[shanti]

8. is it a state hospital?

if so, they probably have archives.

[rug]

10. Michigan Public Act 258 of 1974

http://www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-17449_18637_20992-55559--,00.html

[hickman]

18. Thank you. I think I can work off this.

She has one remaining daughter who would have rights to the information if it hasn't been destroyed.

[noonwitch]

11. The records have probably been destroyed by now

The state periodically destroys all confidential files-I think it's every 7 years or so. 1964 is pre-computer, too, so they wouldn't even still have insurance/medicaid billing information anymore.

[hickman]

16. This is so sad. You're probably right. n/t

[izzybeans]

12. you probably will need a lawyer-patient records are confidential for a long time

you can get hospital records from your states dep. of mental health if they have an online archive.

[mad-mommy]

17. don't give up in looking

my friend found medical records of her mother, herself, and siblings from about 65 years ago. They lived in what she called, an "alms house", where homeless people stayed during the depression. They must have had a some sort of medical set up, as her mother had a baby there. She just kept digging for info, and though the home was gone, there were records kept elsewhere.

[hickman]

20. Thank You! I won't. I'm on a mission. n/t