Trigger: eating disorders
A pioneering Trust team which aims to keep young people with eating disorders out of hospital and in the community is celebrating its first anniversary.
The Eating Disorder Home Treatment (EDHT) team – part of the North Yorkshire and York CAMHS service – has helped to “significantly” cut both admissions and re-admissions.
“We offer family-driven support to help young people stay at home as they move forward in recovery. We are here for them, and their families,” said practitioner Rachael Heppell.
Supporting families and young people
The EDHT was launched last January to provide targeted support for the families and carers of young people deemed to be at risk of hospital admission, or re-admission.
Support includes meal coaching and the development of distress management skills – with assistant psychologists and health care assistants making regular home visits.
“The aim is to provide training and education to families and carers on how best to support young people at what can be an anxious and difficult time,” said Rachael.
“We know that looking after a young person with an eating disorder can be a lonely or stressful situation. We are here to offer support, so people don’t feel on their own.
“The team helps to bolster the skills of parents and supports them to work with us to help keep their children at home. It allows us to keep family relationships going.”
Successes for the team in the past few months include:
- An 18.5% decrease in paediatric readmissions within a six-month period.
- EDHT input on paediatric wards has supported safe, effective and planned discharges, reducing re-admission and tier 4 admission.
- An almost 50% reduction in tier 4 admissions since the launch of EDHT.
- Supporting a parent training course around eating disorders/difficulties.
- Facilitating a parent support group open to any parent/carer within the EDT service.
“The EDHT has been a fantastic addition to our eating disorders team, and its first anniversary is really something to celebrate,” said Rachael.
“We are a really supportive team. We pull together for each other, and also for the young people we support. This helps us to offer the best support possible.”
Quotes from families supported by the team:
- “It can be lonely trying to do it all yourself. I found the team’s support really helpful and became more confident I was doing/saying the correct things.”
- “The team provided us with invaluable support and advice at a time of enormous stress and anxiety to our family. We couldn’t have managed to look after our daughter at home without your help.”
- “Having your continuing support gave us greater confidence. Now we are in a such a different place, almost unimaginable at the beginning.”
- “We cannot thank you enough”
- “EDHT was a very lovely experience, which has given us validation and empowerment in self-confidence that we can carry on the right track.”
- The team provided “a well-informed, well briefed and consistent message” which helped parents “follow the same approach” on their own.
