What Level of Care to Choose

According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) www.NationalEatingDisorders.org
choosing a level of treatment should be based on the following:

Intensive Outpatient/Outpatient
Medically stable

• No longer needs daily medical monitoring

Psychiatrically stable

• Symptoms in sufficient control to be able to function in normal social, educational, or vocational situations and continue to make progress in recovery

Partial Hospitalization
Medically stable

• Eating disorder may impair functioning but not causing immediate acute risk
• Needs daily assessment of physiological and mental status

Psychiatrically stable

• Unable to function in normal social, educational, or vocational situations but not suicidal
• Daily bingeing, purging, severely restricted intake, or other pathogenic weight control techniques

Residential

• Medically stable so does not require intensive medical interventions
• Psychiatrically impaired and unable to respond to partial hospital or outpatient treatment

Inpatient
Medically unstable

• Unstable or depressed vital signs
• Laboratory finding presenting acute risk
• Complications due to coexisting medical problems such as diabetes mellitus

Psychiatrically Unstable

• Symptoms worsening at a rapid rate
• Suicidal and unable to contract for safety

NEDA has also published an "Eating Disorders Survival Guide" which includes additional useful information.

Katie Goode, LMFT
www.HolisticTherapyOC.com