The Eating Disorders Unit (EDU) is a 12 bed inpatient unit for adolescents struggling with an eating disorder. It provides an interprofessional model of care with a focus on recovery and rehabilitation.
The unit includes individual patient bedrooms, kitchen, dining room and lounge area. There are also group rooms and spaces for individual, family, and group therapy. Parent and family/caregiver involvement is a key component of the clinical programming. During their time at Ontario Shores, adolescents will also have access to a teacher who will assist with their education needs.
Treatment includes: individual, group, and family therapy, psychoeducation, meal support, nutrition rehabilitation, psychopharmacology, treatment for co-morbid disorders, and schooling.
We work with adolescents and their families/caregivers to provide an individualized approach that considers the unique needs and goals for recovery; while holding to program guidelines and our vision of Recovering Best Health, Nurturing Hope, and Revolutionizing Care.
For ages 12-17
- Adolescent patients with a primary diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, or related eating disorder.
- Adolescent is between 12 and 17 years of age (minimum of four months prior to 18th birthday).
- Adolescent and family/caregiver are willing to actively engage with treatment.
- Adolescent in a community-based treatment has not been making adequate progress, or treatment in the community has not been available/adequate.
- This program is not intended for adolescents with other primary diagnoses, for example borderline personality, severe developmental disabilities, physical swallowing difficulties, etc.
- Referring or treating health care provider/agency is able to commit to provide appropriate follow-up after the adolescent has been discharged from the Ontario Shores Eating Disorder program.
- The adolescent must be medically stable; this is determined by the medical staff both at the referring site and Ontario Shores.
Admission criteria:
- > 75 % of normal weight and routinely meeting medical stability requirements (see below). Each case will be reviewed by the receiving physicians prior to admission
- Taking in an adequate amount of nutrition orally (supplement and solid food), willing to increase consumption to return to full health, and ready and willing to participate in active meal support at a table with peer group and EDU staff
- Patient and parents are agreeable to following the appropriate meal plan and not resistant (no recent attempts to pull out NG) to placement and use of an NG tube for re-feeding if unable to take in adequate nutrition orally.
- Voluntary, Capable and motivated to be admitted to the program. If patient is involuntary or incapable, both patient and parents must understand that if the patient is resistant to treatment when they become capable, this may limit our ability to effectively treat and my result in a premature discharge.
- The patient must be able to appropriately participate in all aspects of the EDU program. Therefore, they should be able to communicate adequately, and be developmentally and cognitively capable of high level participation in order to benefit from our program
- Minimal self-harm; not actively and seriously suicidal.
- Discharge follow up agreement received
Medical Criteria:
(must be meeting below criteria consistently):
- Heart rate >50 bpm at daytime, >45 bpm at night
- Orthostatic vital sign changes not higher than: 35 HR or >20 mm hg systolic or > 10 mm hg
- Systolic/diastolic BP > 90/45 mmHg
- Body temperature > 35.6 degrees C
- No electrolyte disturbance- Absence or resolution of: hypokalemia, hypoglycemia , hyponatremia, hypophosphatemia, etc.
- No abnormalities in ECG (ECG within last 2 weeks). No Cardiac arrhythmias including prolonged QTc
- If cardiac abnormalities are/were present they must have resolved or we will need Cardiologist clearance to continue recent medications and for safety to attend program
- No acute medical complications: syncope, seizures, cardiac failure, renal failure, severe gastro-intestinal distress, severe deconditioning, etc.
- No symptomatic dehydration
- Not Pregnant
- Absence of Esophageal tears or Hematemesis
- Medical documents must be up to date 7 days prior admission
- Patient has not signed the agreement to referral (unless incapable due to refusal to come despite clear and unambiguous support from family for admission and treatment)
- Patients without a clear commitment to or participation in treatment
- Active and serious self harm or repeated interventions or hospitalisations for such
- Active serious suicide attempts or intentions or repeated hospitalisation for such
- Patient and/or Parent without a clear commitment to treatment program
- Referral sources not agreeing to provide follow up services within 7 days of discharge from Ontario Shores. Please see Discharge Service Agreement attached and send with the referral.
If the referral is incomplete within 30 days of receipt, the referral will close
Referrals are accepted from healthcare professionals who are providing care throughout Ontario.
