Elderly Care: Helping You Deal With the Dying Process
What To Look For In An Eating Disorder Treatment Program
Julio Carr
If you or someone you love is suffering from an eating disorder, it's important that you know help is available. There are lots of different eating disorder treatment programs and protocols. So, how do you go about choosing one that's most likely to be beneficial and effective long-term? Here are a few key things to look for.
Multi-disciplinary Approach
Eating disorders are complex. While their physical manifestations, such as weight loss and weight gain, are the most obvious to others, eating disorders also have a huge mental health component. As such, any treatment for eating disorders needs to have both mental and physical elements. Look for centers that not only employ medical doctors and dietitians but also therapists and psychologists. Patients tend to recover best when the eating disorder is treated from multiple angles by a panel of experts in various fields.
Long-Term Followup
Most patients do not fully recover from an eating disorder in the span of a short-term program. While a lot of progress can be made in such an intensive program, most patients also require follow-up care for years afterward in order to strengthen their recovery and keep them on track. So, when looking into various eating disorder treatment centers, ask what type of follow-up they offer for patients. Can the patient keep seeing the same doctors and therapists on an outpatient basis after an inpatient session? Or, can the program refer the patient to a therapist for continued outpatient care afterward?
Specialties
There are many different types of eating disorders. They share similarities, but they are also quite different. Someone with a binge eating disorder, for example, will have different physical consequences from someone with anorexia. If you or your loved one has already been diagnosed with a specific eating disorder, or if you have a strong inkling of what particular disorder you may have, then you should look for a treatment center that specializes in caring for patients with that particular eating disorder. Keep in mind that it may only be one doctor or therapist in the program who specializes. So, you may need to do some reading about the individual practitioners the place employs before you decide whether a particular program is right for you.
Eating disorders can be tough for anyone. There's no doubt about that. But help is available in the form of many different eating disorder treatment clinics. Look for one near you to begin your healing journey.
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As an elderly care worker, I have witnessed the deaths of many individuals. I have seen family members become angry, sad, and completely silent at the end. I have also seen individuals refuse to see family members out of denial. People deal with death in different ways, and the strong emotions are often unfamiliar and scary. If you have a parent or grandparent who is elderly, then I want to share with you what I know about end of life care and dying process. We are a society that does not talk about death, and this can cause great pain when a family member dies. Learn about the process and find out how to deal with your own emotions and how to love your family members at the end. If there is only a small amount of time left, then I want you to cherish the final moments.