Last month, we discussed residential eating disorder treatment from the perspective of parents and covered tips to help them prepare and questions they should ask. This month, we want to dig deeper into what health care professionals can expect when it comes to residential treatment centers (RTC).
Facts About Residential Treatment Centers
To start, let’s revisit some basic facts about RTC that we covered in our part one of this series: Residential Eating Disorder Treatment: What Parents Need to Know.
A stay at RTC is difficult.
It’s only the beginning of a patient’s road to recovery. People do not leave RTC “recovered.”
The length of stay (LTS) is often dictated by insurance, and it never feels long enough.
Parents and loved ones play a significant role in recovery and must be an active part of the treatment team.
Read Brave Girl Eating: A Family’s Struggle with Anorexia by Harriet Brown for an intimate look at a family’s experience when a child suffers from an eating disorder.
Step down, or aftercare, should be planned before release from RTC. Many programs address aftercare on the first day of admission.
It’s important to set realistic expectation to prevent caregiver frustration and burnout.
The program fit matters more than the location of the RTC.
Important Reminders for Eating Disorder Professionals
While every eating disorder is unique and requires an individual approach, there are some general reminders that are helpful to health care professionals in RTC.
Anosognosia is real. People sufferings with eating disorders often don’t understand that they’re sick.
Remind parents that eating disorders are not a choice and that parents don’t cause them.
Be patient and understanding. Parents are coming to you on one of the worst days of their lives.
Treatment outcomes are unequivocally improved by early diagnosis and referrals.
As we mentioned above, family members play an important role during treatment. RTC professionals should be united with them.
Remember that the eating disorder as well as co-morbid diagnoses can cause distortions in reality.
Create a plan for communicating consistently and effectively with parents. Make sure they understand that they will be included in treatment.
Encourage parents to do their own work during their child’s treatment (parallel process).
A book like Your Dieting Daughter: Antidotes Parents Can Provide for Body Dissatisfaction, Excessive Dieting, and Disordered Eating by Carolyn Costin offers parents practical and invaluable information for the journey ahead.
Let the parents know that they will get a call within a few days of their child’s admission to RTC. Their child will cry and beg to come home. Parents should validate their feelings and stay positive but firm as they comfort them.
Questions for RTC Professionals to Ask Parents
To close, here are three important questions that health care professionals at RTC should ask parents of children in treatment.
How can we support you?
How will you commit to getting your own support during your child’s stay?
Do you have someone to call when your worries and fears become overwhelming?
Be sure to check out part one of this series: Residential Eating Disorders Treatment: What Parents Need to Know.
If you need help as you navigate caring for a loved one with an eating disorder, the Recovery Roadmap Series can serve as your guidebook! Reach out with any questions.
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