Hi,

This is a situation that is fairly familiar to me. I think there are a couple of strands to the approach you might adopt. First, looking at the positive things, it is good that your brother seems to be doing well. His diagnosis of paranoid schizophenia may also be something that works to his advantage as with age the symptoms often become less severe.

In terms of his complaints, does he appear to be looking to you for a solution, or does he seem to be 'sounding off'? I doubt that he expects you to take a position beyond offering him support. In which case just saying that you are sorry he feels so upset might be sufficient.

It's also important to acknowledge that a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia shouldn't exclude the possibility that he is having a difficult time in some situations or that some people might be treating him in ways he isn't comfortable with. By definition, his day center points to a place where other people with mental health problems will be with him. The comments about staff may have substance, or they may not. You know your brother and you'll know whether he tends to be sensitive to situations or events and how he expresses these.

Usually, there are one or two members of staff that most patients take a particular liking to and trust. If your brother presses you for some ideas you might recommend he speaks to these people about his concerns. Otherwise, if your brother feels he has a genuine grievance he can always follow the complaints procedure and this usually starts with a letter to chief administrator (or in some cases the patient support officer) it varies from place to place.

I know my answer is full of generalizations and speculation but not knowing the situation it is difficult to be too precise. I hope these few thoughts help a little.