The ACUTE Center for Eating Disorders & Severe Malnutrition at Denver Health was founded by Dr. Philip Mehler, who is also a high level executive at Eating Recovery Center of Denver (ERC Denver). ACUTE Center is a specialized eating disorders medical stabilization unit in Colorado that treats people of all genders, aged 15 and up. It is located in the Denver Health hospital, however unlike the rest of Denver Health, ACUTE does not accept Medicaid or Medicare.
ACUTE provides medical care to patients whose eating disorders or whose medical complications are too severe to be treated at a traditional inpatient or residential treatment. As both Executive Medical Director of ACUTE and Chief Science Officer at ERC Denver, Dr. Mehler is also responsible for overseeing and managing ERC Denver’s scientific research and development activities, ensuring that scientific strategies align with business goals. Although ACUTE is at a hospital located in Colorado, people come from all over the country for ACUTE’s life-saving treatment. Patients for whom air travel is dangerous can fly via an air ambulance such as Angel Flight. After being medically stabilized at ACUTE, patients are commonly transferred to ERC Denver for inpatient and residential treatment and they should plan accordingly.
If you’ve heard of the Torrance Memorial Eating Disorders medical unit in California, this is a similar program. Click here to browse other programs that provide medical stabilization.
Any updated reviews? Please post in comments below! You can check out the FAQ and Guidelines for suggested questions. Thank you!
When were you there? Oct 2025-Dec 2025
What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)? inpatient
If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible? yes
How many patients are there on average? 30 bed unit
What genders does it treat? all
If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people? yes, though some CNAs and nurses don’t even bother checking pronouns before checking in with you
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc? medical doctor every day, dietitian 3-4 times a week, psychiatrist once a week, psychologist 3-4 times a week, social worker minimum once a week but more once discharge is on the table
What is the staff-to-patient ratio? one CNA per patient, nurses are assigned 3-4 patients each i believe
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)? there is no therapy
Describe the average day:
>weights/vitals: done between 4-6:30am, showers have to be done before breakfast
>breakfast: 9-9:30am
>snack: 11-11:20am
>lunch: 1:15-1:45pm
>snack: 3:35-3:55pm
>dinner: 6-6:30pm
>snack: between 8-8:50pm
half the rooms are on a meal schedule 30mins earlier
What were meals like? 30mins for meals, 20mins for snack
What sorts of food were available or served? hospital food… the dietitian will work with you to adjust what’s available to reach your calorie goal. the range is honestly pretty sad. i have a couple example menus (pescetarian) and the most recent snack menu.
Did they supplement? How did that system work? there is Ensure Plus (vanilla and chocolate) and Ensure Clear (mixed berry and apple). 10mins to finish for meals and 5mins to finish at snacks
What is the policy of not complying with meals? Do most people complete their meals/snacks? Supplementation still counts towards completion but NG tube quickly offered (or forced) with continued low completion rate.
If applicable: Do they treat ARFID? If so, do they have a separate approach to meals for ARFID? unsure, i honestly don’t think they would be very beneficial or effective at addressing ARFID
Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan? vegetarian for sure, they are ‘not a vegan program’ so they can’t provide fully vegan meals despite being part of such a large medical center (that does cater to vegan patients).
What privileges are allowed? not much
Does it work on a level system? Levels Aspen, Breckenridge, and Copper. There is less BHT/CNA in your room as you level up but if they cert you, you can’t move up the level system and you will never be alone in your room.
How do you earn privileges? meal compliance, ‘appropriately’ interacting with the staff
What sort of groups do they have? the have OT group typically every wednesday but they are optional and you have to sign up for them.
What was your favorite group? n/a
If applicable: Is the program trauma-informed? no. they have 0 empathy and i’ve left more traumatized than when i came in (previously, as well as this admission)
What did you like the most? nothing really,, but i do prefer room-based treatment and not having to interact with other patients.
What did you like the least? essentially everything.
Would you recommend this program? purely on a medical basis (even then debatable), otherwise absolutely not
What level of activity or exercise was allowed? there’s up to 2 laps around the unit after meals and 1 lap after snacks once you’re approved. PT/OT will work with you during sessions and leave you with movement programs you can do in your room on a daily basis
What did people do on weekends? not much different than the week, providers tend not to be around though so if you have a problem with something like your menu, it likely won’t be fixed until the dietitians come back
Do you get to know your weight? no, but it is possible to see it on the nursing computers occasionally
If applicable: How fast is the weight gain process? very fast, that’s their priority and all they focus on. expect meal increases every 2-3 days and if you even drop an ounce of weight they see it as a flag for a meal increase (even though they acknowledge weight fluctuates on the daily)
What was the average length of stay? depends on medical stability so it depends, but generally they want you up and out as soon as they can
What was the average age range? i believe all ages 15+, but it seemed like 20-60 years old while i was there?
How do visits/phone calls work? you can have your phone at all times besides meals/snacks. visitations are split into 2 time groups depending on your room number.
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)? you can have your phone and electronics at all times besides meals/snacks. they have to be off the dining table, but you can use them to play music or videos during meals/snacks too.
For adolescents: Did they provide time to do schoolwork or offer academic support? n/a
For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go on outings/passes? no, the most you can do is go to the 4th floor, garden, tunnels, or gift shop
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team? they push for you to step down to ERC Denver.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country? they arrange for air ambulance if needed
Other? honestly, i think they should take out ‘eating disorders’ from their title and just keep it as ‘center for severe malnutrition.’ they do not treat EDs, they only focus on weight restoration and medical stability. while that is an important factor in ED recovery, you cannot expect to actually heal someone’s relationship with food or their bodies by force feeding them and not addressing the mental toll it takes on people with eating disorders. they do not deserve to have the recognition as ‘the best’ of eating disorder treatment. knowing how to handle the medical complications associated with eating disorders is not that same as treating the eating disorder itself.
-Dr. P is by far the LEAST empathetic MD in this hellish place with Dr. Ne coming in a close second. They should not be working in this field when they are on a power trip and seem to look down on patients. Dr. S and Dr. Ni at least give the impression of listening to your concerns and are willing to discuss them with you. Generally speaking the people here just want to make money off of you. Sure there are some staff/providers that seem to care, but the overall feeling one gets is just not great.
100% agree with this review and if you’re on a certification don’t expect erc Denver to be any better. Just spent the last seven months here and all they care about is mass putting weight on. They can and will take away supplement (even if you’re not abusing it) and expect you to complete a [number redacted] calorie meal plan without supplement. If you’re on a certification, one restriction (even if it is as small as a fruit) will result in automatic tube feed because it is court ordered along with the certification. While force feeding is necessary if someone is refusing food to the point where it’s interfering with medical stability then yes tube feed should be mandatory, but to deny someone of supplement and then expect them to complete 100% of a [number redacted] calorie meal plan for months is brutal. This does not help the mental part of an eating disorder and is just mass putting weight on ***. As mentioned above, if you even lose 0.1 of a kg (which could just be bathroom weight) they will increase you immediately. They don’t care if you’re gaining too fast but one little drop and they’ll increase you. These were the most miserable 7 months of my life and I’m mentally far worse than when I came in. They are purely for medical stabilization aka weight gain. They don’t care about your mental sanity.
When were you there?
*August 2025
What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?
*IP only
If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible?
*Yes
How many patients are there on average?
*It’s a 30 bed unit. When I was there it wasn’t full. I was told it usually is though.
What genders does it treat?
*All genders
If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people?
*I believe so yes
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc?
*Medical doctor every day, psychiatrist 1x per week or more as needed, psychologist 2-3x per week, dietician every day except for weekends, nurse every day. You see PT and OT a few times a week or as needed. And a social worker as needed for discharge planning and right when you get there.
What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
* I wouldn’t be surprised if it was 2:1. Each nurse is assigned 3 patients usually, but on level Aspen you have your own CNA with you 24/7.
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)?
*It’s an inpatient unit so the focus is on medical stabilization. Definitely a lot of motivational interviewing is used.
Describe the average day:
*4:30-6:30 am: wakeup, weights, vitals, blood sugars if needed, labs if needed
7:00-7:30 CNA shift change
7:00-8:00 nursing shift change, med pass. Usually the MD comes in before breakfast.
9:00-9:30 breakfast then laps if you can(note, half the rooms eat 30 minutes earlier than this. Your timing depends on which room number you are in).
9:30-11:00: provider sessions. Your providers sign up to see you at various times during the day which the CNA will update on the board for you.
11:00-11:20 AM snack
11:20-1:15 more sessions/free time
1:15-1:45 lunch then laps
1:45-3:30 sessions
3:30-3:50 pm snack
4:00-5:45 visiting
6:00-6:30 dinner then laps
6:30-8:30 free time, med pass, nursing shift change, CNA shift change.
8:30-8:50 for level Aspen, night snack.
9:00-bedtime= free time
On weekend visiting hours are extended from 11:30 am to 5:45. Visitors have to step out for meals. There was also groups held on Saturdays while I was there. They are optional. You may have other appointments either at the main hospital or consultations at ACUTE from other specialities. Throughout the day nursing checks in on you and you have frequent vitals and blood glucose monitoring at first. Finally on higher levels you get laps after snacks and outings. I never made it to a higher level while I was there.
What were meals like?
*You had 30 minutes for meals, 20 minutes for snacks. You sit at a table to eat. You can choose to talk or not. I liked to eat in quiet. It is awkward because the CNA stares at you during mealtimes. They will make you finish every crumb. Sometimes it seems excessive regarding being required to scrape sauce off a plate or lick lids.
What sorts of food were available or served?
*They had a very wide variety of food for meals and snacks. I was on TPN for part of my stay then tube feedings due to a medical condition so I had a very limited selection of foods I could digest. That being said they were totally willing to give me exclusively those foods and the food always seemed fresh and tasty.
They had for breakfast toast, bagels, eggs, pancakes, yogurt, oatmeal, cereal, milk, Sun butter, peanut butter, butter. Not sure what else but a very high variety. You could also have breakfast food for any of the meals.
For lunch they had sandwiches, soups, pasta with pesto, butter, Alfredo sauce, or red sauce, fish, chicken, etc. also you could have snacks as sides.
For dinner they had the same foods as lunch.
Snacks were a very high variety, moreso than anywhere else I’ve been. The snacks range from A to E. I know you can count 2 lower snacks as a larger one as well I just am not totally sure how that works.
They gave you 4 pitchers of water a day which is plenty.
You could have 1 caffeinated beverage a day at breakfast, either caffeinated tea, diet coke, or coffee. One other non caloric beverage at hs snack, either diet sprite or tea.
They were very strict about condiments especially salt. Only 4 condiments per each meal, 3 salts, hot sauce, or BBQ sauce a day. They also did not serve vegetables or fruits besides bananas.
Did they supplement? How did that system work?
*Yes, calorie per calorie. Chocolate or vanilla ensure plus, or berry or apple ensure clear.
What is the policy of not complying with meals? Do most people complete their meals/snacks?
*You can’t walk laps if you don’t complete. I think they would talk about a tube if you weren’t completing. Not really sure though. I completed and was compliant with my tube feed for a medical reason.
If applicable: Do they treat ARFID? If so, do they have a separate approach to meals for ARFID?
*Yes they treat arfid. This would be a great program for arfid stabilization because they are flexible in you picking a limited variety of foods. I’m not sure if they do exposure treatment for arfid.
Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan?
*I’d imagine so. I’m not sure if you could be vegan but you could try. They mainly care about completion/calories in.
What privileges are allowed?
*Laps, eventually removing CNA.
Does it work on a level system?
*Yes, 3 levels, based purely on weight gain/completion. The whole program is very focused on weights.
How do you earn privileges?
*Compliance with meals and snacks, weight gain as expected.
What sort of groups do they have?
*They had a planting group while I was there, I didn’t attend so I’m not sure.
What was your favorite group?
*N/A
If applicable: Is the program trauma-informed?
*Kind of. I have a trauma history and they allowed only female providers and CNAs for me. They also allowed me to not remove undergarments while weighing. They do monitor bathroom use heavily which was a struggle for me. I don’t know how much more leniency they would allow if you pushed back on this. They also utilize gait belts which I struggled with but got off of fast.
What did you like the most?
*I was in a really tricky place medically when I got there(SMA syndrome). Within a week they had gotten me off of tpn, a surgical tube placed, and had me eating soft foods again. Medically they absolutely know what they are doing. They are truly a lifesaving program in that way. PT and OT are great. Every CNA/BHT I interacted with was truly passionate about being there and very kind to me. They accommodated my service dogs as well, and everyone was kind to him. Nursing staff was also great and truly went out of their way to make sure I was comfortable.
I liked their approach to meal plans and appreciated that my medical needs were accommodated in this way as well. I am a picky eater and this was not a problem here.
What did you like the least?
*This is a very strict program. I definitely felt infantilised being here. I felt like I was viewed as a disorder and incompetent to make decisions due to my eating disorder. There is a prison like vibe, it’s obvious nobody is free to leave. They make you take shoes off before going outside, the unit is locked down, and i felt like my conversations over the phone were being documented. It felt very uneasy and it was very difficult for me with my trauma history to feel trapped here. In addition they had an issue where my height was miscalculated resulting in me potentially having a length of stay several weeks longer than I anticipated. It was a hassle to get this fixed.
Would you recommend this program?
*Yes, only if you are truly in need of the medical expertise they provide. Aka, if you are an adult and have no other options and are dying and need help, it’s a lifesaving program. If you can go somewhere else do it. Do not expect to be allowed to leave to go anywhere but directly to a residential or inpatient treatment program if you come here.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
*At the beginning, absolutely none. Bedrest or chair rest and transfer with a gait belt. As you get stronger/cleared for activity you can progress to 2 labs around the unit after every meal, and 1 after each snack. Also PT and OT will give you stretches/yoga you can do. I saw some people having additional ambulation practice/PT OT activities.
What did people do on weekends?
*Extended visitation hours and only the MD is in. Other than that same as the weekdays. I believe the therapy dogs normally come on Saturday.
Do you get to know your weight?
*No, not even trends. You do have to be a certain percentage IBW to discharge. They are hush hush about what that percentage is.
If applicable: How fast is the weight gain process?
*Very fast. They want to minimize the length of stay and this requires weight restoration. They don’t mess around about this.
What was the average length of stay?
*Not sure. I was there 8 days but came from 90 days of inpatient previously and went straight back to inpatient. I think normally people are there longer. I really wanted to get out and so did everything I could to shorten the length of stay.
What was the average age range?
*I’m 20 and saw people my age ranging to people that looked in their 50s. I think the average is probably in the 30s.
How do visits/phone calls work?
*Visitation every day for about 2 hours. Longer on weekends. You have your electronics so you can call people whenever you want. That said if you are on Aspen expect to have no privacy to call or visit.
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)?
*No limitations. I don’t think you are allowed to use your phone during meals but I believe you are allowed to watch tv.
For adolescents: Did they provide time to do schoolwork or offer academic support?
*N/A this isn’t an adolescent program. If you are an adolescent I would strongly recommend going to a children’s hospital over ACUTE.
For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go on outings/passes?
*Outings to the garden, tunnels, or gift shop.
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team?
*You are expected to go to inpatient or residential. Likely ERC in Denver if you end up on a hold or don’t have a program you prefer to go to.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?
*Yes, they paid for my Uber from the airport to acute. I know they also do med flights if you need that support.
Other?
*Overall this isn’t a terrible program by any means. I know some recent reviews have highlighted difficulties this program is having and I don’t want to invalidate that. But you will be treated with respect here by the majority of the staff, and they have a degree of medical support that is unmatched. ACUTE is lifesaving and when you realize that a lot of the other policies and procedures start to make sense. They are set up for people who are very ill and struggling with their disorder and as much as I hated the strictness during my time there, ACUTE was able to help me with a medical issue that had been mishandled by multiple other programs before I ended up there. I only wish they were a truly voluntary program instead of using coercive
measures to force people to step down through the levels of care. That would be my main complaint
Random question did they or would they allow you to do weight in the bathroom due to trauma history id rather be the least exposed as possible. They allowed it in the past but different cnas cited different rules.
I would imagine they would be fine with that. Several of the CNAs brought the scale into the bathroom anyway without me having to ask.
Dear Director of Marketing,
If you would like shady information to stop being posted here about ACUTE, perhaps you and the company you work for should stop doing shady things.
You can begin by discontinuing the social media voyeurism! Hopefully, this review site will continue to be one of few spaces the victims of this institution have a voice.
We wish to actually be able to sleep at night knowing we are giving others information to help them decide on their treatment options with actual informed consent.
For anyone considering this facility, please know the admission criteria for ACUTE are such that they “technically” overlap with the Colorado certification laws (i.e. allowing your condition to deteriorate to a point of grave disability). They will not hesitate to employ this once you are medically stable enough to be transferred to ERC, regardless of what they let you think to first lure you to the state.
This style of care may be helpful to you, and if you go, I do hope you are of those who can benefit.
For the majority of others, proceed with caution! A healthcare power of attorney will have no weight or enforcement in Denver if it was not completed in that county! Additionally, requesting a patient advocate may not be safe here either! It will not be confidential and they will inform Denver Health psychiatry. This will red flag you for certification! The atrocities are Handsmaid Tale disturbing at this facility!
Also if you call the patient advocate for help your cna will IMMEDIATELY tip off the abusive team member
Yeah I learned this the hard way
For context: After telling clients for years that they don’t visit Eating Disorder Treatment Reviews (EDTR), within a day of EDTR replying to a (rather buried) comment and confirming that ACUTE does stalk EDTR, we received an email from the Director of Marketing asking for me by name and referring to this site using its initialism (“EDTR”):
That’s beyond creepy and invasive and wildly inappropriate and unethical
Is there an unusual amount of patients certified? I just left ERC where we had many patients certified even though they didn’t except it. I think there is something shady going on between Acute and ERC. I think Acute is aiding ERC to fill beds.
I wanted to share another review of my experience at ACUTE to offer a different perspective for those considering treatment. Many recent reviews paint a picture that doesn’t reflect my own experience, and I’ve been a patient at ACUTE multiple times between 2019 and 2025.
ACUTE provides one of the highest levels of care for eating disorders and malnutrition. While the structure and rules may feel strict, they are necessary given the severity of the conditions treated. I’ve struggled with an eating disorder for over a decade and have faced life-threatening situations—ACUTE has saved my life more than once, and I’m deeply grateful.
The program is challenging: rapid weight gain, high meal plans, hospital confinement, and limited autonomy are difficult. But in my view, these challenges are far less painful than the suffering caused by the eating disorder itself.
Below is my most recent review from my June 2025 stay, offering the most current insight:
When were you there?: June 2025
What level(s) of care did you do? ACUTE provides only inpatient care, as it is located within a hospital setting. It serves as the step prior to transitioning to a residential, PHP, or IOP program.
If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible? Yes
How many patients are there on average? ACUTE has 30 beds, which is the maximum number of patients it can accommodate at any given time. However, the actual number of patients may vary.
What genders does it treat? All genders are treated with respect and affirmed. The team does a great job supporting and honoring every gender identity.
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc? You see a medical doctor every day, psychologists about four times a week, dietitians four to five times a week, and a psychiatrist a few times weekly or as needed for medication discussions. You’re assigned a nurse for each shift—day and night—as well as a personal CNA for both shifts. Additionally, you meet with occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) at least twice a week, with more PT sessions available if extra support is needed.
What is the staff-to-patient ratio? Each patient is assigned a personal CNA and nurse daily, as well as a psychologist, psychiatrist, dietitian, doctor, social worker, occupational therapist, and physical therapist.
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)? The psychologists are trained in various therapeutic approaches and can tailor these methods during individual sessions. While there are no specific group sessions on these topics due to the room-based care model, patients can request to work on any issue with their personal psychologist or occupational therapist.
Describe the average day: The day begins with taking weight and vital signs, which occurs between 4:00 AM and 6:30 AM. Patients can choose their specific time within this window. Those on Aspen level are allowed to shower after their vitals are taken, while patients on Breckenridge or Copper levels must wait until their day CNA arrives—usually between 7:00 and 7:30 AM.
Meal times are assigned based on room number, placing patients into either “Group 1” or “Group 2.” Group 1 eats all meals 30 minutes earlier than Group 2.
Between meals and snacks, providers schedule daily meetings with patients, which generally take up a significant portion of the day. When not eating or meeting with providers, patients have free time to watch TV, read, call family or friends, engage in arts and crafts, or pursue any other preferred activities.
What were meals like? Meals last 30 minutes, and snacks are 20 minutes. The assigned CNA stays with the patient during this time for accountability, which can feel awkward at first, but it often feels better if you engage in conversation—this helped me feel less uncomfortable.
What sorts of food were available or served? Although not gourmet, the meal variety is quite good for a hospital setting. You can choose whatever you’d like for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, and your dietitian will ensure it meets the calorie goals of your specific meal plan.
Breakfast options include cereals with milk, Greek or regular yogurt, eggs, toast, English muffins, breakfast sandwiches, pancakes or French toast, muffins, bagels, peanut or sunflower butter, granola, oatmeal, fruit, and cottage cheese.
For lunch, you can choose hot or cold items, or even have breakfast for lunch or dinner. Options include veggie burgers, turkey or ham sandwiches, grilled cheese, hummus flatbreads, and paninis.
Dinner examples include omelets with cheese, hashbrowns, and toast; burrito bowls; chicken, tofu, or fish with rice; baked potatoes; as well as tofu dishes, mashed potatoes, stir-fries, pastas with pesto or marinara sauce.
Snack choices are categorized from “A” to “E” based on size, with a wide variety available. These include cottage cheese, yogurts, granola, graham crackers, peanut and sunflower butter, Goldfish crackers, Rice Krispie treats, smoothies, pretzels, ice cream, brownies, cookies, Lara Bars, Kind Bars, Bobo Bars, cheese and crackers, chocolate-covered almonds, yogurt-covered pretzels, fresh fruits like blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, grapes, bananas, milk (soy or 2%), juices, and Clif Bars.
Did they supplement? How did that system work? Supplements are provided based on any unfinished portions, with precise measurements to ensure the supplement matches your meal plan. You can choose between chocolate or vanilla Ensure, or Ensure Clear.
What is the policy of not complying with meals? You are expected to complete your meals and supplements. If restriction becomes a consistent pattern, the team will likely discuss the possibility of a feeding tube. If you do not finish your food or supplement, you will lose a lap and an outing for that day.
Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan? Yes, the primary focus at this level of care is meal completion, and the team works closely with you to accommodate what you are willing to eat.
What privileges are allowed? As you progress, you may be moved to Breckenridge and Copper levels, where you gain outings, additional laps, and increased privacy without a CNA in your room.
Does it work on a level system? There are three levels of care at ACUTE, determined by a patient’s progress and medical status: Aspen, Breckenridge, and Copper.
Aspen: This is the initial level upon admission. A CNA must be present in the patient’s room at all times. Patients on Aspen are allowed to take two laps around the unit after meals but are not eligible for outings.
Breckenridge: Patients at this level can have 30-minute outings on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. They also have an hour of free time between 2 and 3 PM without a CNA in the room, though camera surveillance is active during this time. From 7 PM to 7 AM, patients are alone in their rooms with 24-hour camera monitoring. A CNA is still assigned for the night shift to assist with evening snacks, vitals, and bathroom breaks as needed. Additionally, Breckenridge patients may take one extra lap after their morning and afternoon snacks.
Copper: Patients at this level do not have a CNA present in their room except during meals or bathroom use, and they are under continuous 24-hour camera supervision. Copper level patients have daily outings and two outings per day on weekends.
To remain at any given level, patients must complete their meal plans (either orally, with supplements, or via feeding tube), comply with facility rules, and show appropriate weight progress. If these requirements are not met, the team will discuss moving the patient back to a lower level.
How do you earn privileges? Completion of the meal plan and compliance with the program and team recommendations.
What sort of groups do they have? They offer optional groups each week, including an OT group led by the Occupational Therapists. This group focuses on therapeutic activities such as creating vision boards, painting rocks, and discussing or reflecting on self-esteem. On Saturdays, there is usually a games group led by a CNA, provided there is enough staff. During my stay, I participated in activities like playing games, coloring, and creating blackout poetry. Although simple, it was nice to leave my room for an hour and interact with other patients.
What did you like the most? I appreciated that the care was room-based, as it allowed me to focus fully on myself and my recovery. Having my phone available 24/7 was a big comfort, letting me stay connected with family and friends. I really liked my team and felt a strong connection with them; I worked well with all of them. Aside from a few exceptions, I found nearly all the staff at ACUTE to be amazing.
The doctors, psychologists, and dietitians genuinely care, and I always felt that they had my best interests at heart. I’ve worked with most of the doctors there, and I appreciate the unique personalities and perspectives each one brings. Dr. L., Dr. S., Dr. P., Dr. N., and Dr. A. were all fantastic.
Having been to ACUTE multiple times, I believe I’ve worked with every dietitian there. Each has a slightly different approach, but I truly think they are all excellent. My dietitian *** who worked with me this time, was amazing. She collaborated with me on meal planning while also listening, offering support, and providing therapeutic validation. My psychologist, *** was also incredible—very understanding, and I found the therapy at this level of care to be better than many other treatment centers I’ve attended.
Overall, it’s clear that the staff genuinely care and are committed to working with you to best meet your needs.
What did you like the least? It was difficult not being able to go outside often, and spending nearly all my time in a hospital room was challenging—I frequently felt stir-crazy.
Would you recommend this program? YES! I would 1000% recommend this program. ACUTE is lifesaving and has saved my life time and time again.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed? Once approved, you’re allowed to take two laps around the unit after meals and one lap after snacks. With physical therapy (PT) approval, you can also receive specific exercises or yoga/stretch routines to do on a mat in your room.
Do you get to know your weight? No
If applicable: How fast is the weight gain process? I’m not sure of the exact details, but I don’t think they’re all that important. I do know the process moves quickly, but it’s essential and lifesaving at this initial level of care.
What was the average length of stay? The length of stay is highly individualized and depends on each person’s needs. It can range from a few days to several months. Discharge is based on specific criteria—including medical stability and weight restoration goals—and once those are met, the team will work with you to plan the next steps.
What was the average age range? I believe there is a minimum age requirement—possibly 15 or 16—but that’s about it. Patients of all ages are welcome, and I’ve seen individuals here ranging from their 20s to their 60s.
How do visits/phone calls work? You’re allowed to have your phone with you all day, so you’re welcome to call anytime. Visitation is available daily, with extended hours on weekends. Visitors must check in at the front desk and are allowed to visit in the patient’s room during designated visiting hours.
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)? You can have all electronics 24/7.
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment? Your social worker will collaborate with you to develop the most appropriate treatment plan and aftercare. They will recommend either outpatient or inpatient/residential care and coordinate with the necessary facilities and providers.
This looks like it was written by Denver acute while they keep saying the patient
I can confirm that this wasn’t written by ACUTE. Nadinners is an actual patient and they are telling the truth that they’ve been to ACUTE a few times.
Rachel- I am just curious, how do you know whether these people who comment are real or fake?
You mean my saying earlier that you are a real patient, and my saying here that this person is a real patient? I am absolutely not going to provide any information whatsoever about how I could say this person is real. I’d shut down the site before I’d ever reveal anything personal about anyone to anyone. This question itself is a red flag because it is something ACUTE (and some other treatment centers) would ask in order to try to write fake posts. If you’d like, I can retract my previous statement about you being real… I don’t think I was wrong, but I’m not perfect and given what is currently going on at ACUTE, this question worries me.
The commenter is a real patient I think they just used chatgpt to help them write or organize their thoughts (I could be wrong it just reads that way and I know a lot of us have brainfog) no disrespect intended.
I can also confirm that this is a real person who has been to ACUTE multiple times. This is just how they talk and never say a bad thing about this program because of how many times they have been there.
Did they finally bring back the greek yogurt??? Last I was there. They did not offer it anymore. And I was highly disappointed.
when were you last there, as they had it in december
2024
Recent review. There for hypoglycemia related to refeeding. I’ve been there 3 times and this experience was deeply traumatic and I will NEVER go back. They have gone very downhill in recent years.
* When were you there?
* July 2025
* What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?
* inpatient
* If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible?
* Yes
* How many patients are there on average?
* 30 beds
* What genders does it treat?
* All
* How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc?
* MD – every day
* Psychiatrist – I was there for 4 days. I saw them once. They told me I wouldn’t see them again unless I needed something.
* Psychologist – saw her once. She said I would see her once a week.
* RD – daily for like 5 minutes to meal plan. except on weekends
* RN – multiple times a day for meds
* Social worker – only saw her once on my fourth and final day.
* PT/OT – each once a week.
* What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
* you have a cna with you 24/7 on level one so 1:1
* What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)?
* none. They just gaslight you.
* What were meals like?
bland. Not dangerous just pretty gross. Was good in 2021 but awful now.
they care about completion and that’s it. Complete 100% or they will tube you.
* Meals are 30 minutes, snacks 20 minutes.
CNA will stare blankly at you and make notes every time you take a breath.
* What sorts of food were available or served?
* Breakfast: I’m vegetarian so I had cheese omelets (the eggs are VERY rubbery), toast (was moldy once). Whatever you do don’t get the blueberry muffin it’s gluten free so tastes like sand and was also moldy. Also had lots of apple juice.
* Lunch: I just did pb and js as I’m vegetarian. I asked for white bread as I have SMAS and gastroporesis so fiber is hard for me but they gave me seeded bread anyway more than once.
* Dinner: pizza, bean burritos, pasta, tofu. All pretty gross. Don’t get the tofu. It’s really dry and tough.
* Snacks: they have a list based on meal plan. Just prepackaged snacks like goldfish, cookies, nature valley bars and things like carrot cake and terrible smoothies for higher meal plans.
* Drinks: 1 caffeinated drink per day. You can also get diet sprite or zero sugar lemonade. I asked for full sugar drinks and was told they don’t offer them.
* Did they supplement? How did that system work?
* Yes. Ensure chocolate/vanilla or Ensure clear
* What is the policy of not complying with meals?
They expect 100% completion or you will he confined to your room and tubed and if you refuse they will try and mental health hold you.
* Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan?
* Yes I’m a vegetarian.
* What privileges are allowed?
* you can go outside if you are completing 100% and are off the telemetry which takes at least a week and longer for most. Other wise none.
* Does it work on a level system?
* Yes. 3 levels. Each level gets slightly less staff supervision.
* How do you earn privileges?
* completing 100% and gaining weight at 5 pounds a week
* What sort of groups do they have?
* I was told none. You are confined to your room
* What did you like the most?
* The moment I left
* What did you like the least?
* Dr P***** will gaslight you. She will lie. She told me I could discharge because I didn’t even need to be there and then turned around and said she changed her mind when my husband had already flown back out and got us return flights. She told me altitude sickness isn’t real and I made it up for attention. Mind you I’m a skier. I’ve experience it before multiple times. She yelled at my husband for “talking over her.” He wasn’t. He was just speaking normally.
* Would you recommend this program?
Only if you have zero other options. The trauma can be severe
* What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
2 laps a day for completing and cleared by ot and pt. That’s it.
* Do you get to know your weight?
* No
* If applicable: How fast is the weight gain process?
* they expect 5 pounds a week
* What was the average length of stay?
* 2-5 weeks
* What was the average age range?
* all 15-80
* How do visits/phone calls work?
* You have your phone all day.
* Visits are in the afternoon (around 3-5) and longer on the weekends (11-5)
* What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)?
All allowed. Just can’t have at table.
* What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment?
They try to send everyone to ERC Denver. (Don’t go there)
* Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?
* not really. They have a hotel discount but it’s disgusting and then made my husband wheel me half a mile in 100 degree heat to the hospital.
I will close this by saying I was abused heavily here by my dr and by my night CNA. I AMAd with the support of my husband at the end of day 4 once I told him the things that had happened and once he was treated so poorly by the Dr he agreed with me. I am now gaining 2-3 pounds a week at home and feeling much better away from that place. I will need serious trauma therapy to ever hope to be normal again. I would exercise ALL other possible options before coming here. Dr P***** is a monster who get off on patients pain
I was gaslighted by the ACUTE team as well and was hoping this had improved. Sorry you went through this. May I ask what the cna did? I had cnas be verbally abusive to me there. Im authorized to go but have put it off a few times because of how badly I was treated previously. Did they give you any indication of how long you were going to be there? Or were they always leaving you up in the air
They told me when I got there on Friday that they didn’t even know why I was there and I was already medically stable and then changed their tune to try and hold me after my husband had already booked flights to come back and get me. *TW: abuse* I had a CNA abuse me in a sexual way more than once. It has been reported but I don’t see anything happening with it. *end TW*
That is so ridiculous to do to you. If you were stable, they shouldn’t have accepted you or taken your money. (Obviously you weren’t they’re as changeable as the wind.) Someone im close to had an acute dr tell them they weren’t sick enough after three days. This person was unable to walk. The doctors response was “the airport has wheelchairs.” I wish more people talked about how poorly the staff treats patients at acute because I think people feel like its only them and that the provider is always right and they must be wrong or alone. Thank you for your bravery. I am sending you all the best wishes for a recovery.
Also once I filed a complaint about the staff mistreating and verbally abusing me suddenly they called in the whole team to gang up on me and my parent and accuse us of lying and slander. Our complaints were dismissed by denver health no matter how much evidence we built.
I’ve never been to Acute, but I have experienced ***TW****sexual abuse at other facilities and I know how deeply traumatic and painful it is when someone you’re trusting to help you recover violates you in such an unconscionable way, and I am so so sorry that happened to you. I really hope you’re able to get the trauma treatment and healing you deserve ❤️ *** END TW****
Dr. P was awful to me as well. I’m sorry you had to go through that.
Who is this Dr. P you are referring to? If it is the one I am thinking of, she was absolutely wonderful…
lol hi, very clearly an acute staff member.
P… is her name
She was my favorite physician there. She really cares and just wants to help. I am sorry you got another impression
While I hear you and am glad you had a good experience, please be mindful not to dismiss other’s very real trauma. One of the biggest problems with acute is how differently they treat different people. The inconsistencies are senseless and cause harm.
Invalidating my experience which included lies, falsifying and changing medical records (I have screen shots of what was originally posted to my portal, the notes disappeared, then reappeared several days later with different information), left me without access to nutrition or hydration, mocked me, tried to guilt trip me, and used her perceived power to persuade my decisions for fear of a mental health hold.
im glad your experience was different but that does not make mine less valid.
Not invalidating your experience. I am so sorry you went through that. I personally had a good experience with Dr. P. I just felt like she was one who actually cared. However, I completely get it because I had A HORRIFIC experience with Dr. N. Did you meet her? Forever traumatized. I was literally tricked and deceived, and put on a mental health hold because I was simply questioning an aspect of my treatment. Apparently you can’t ask questions about your own care…the more you know! So yeah I totally get it, I was just kind of surprised because I thought Dr. P was actually one of the better ones in hindsight…
Then make your own review instead of invalidating someone else’s.
I had another patient’s notes in my notes. Like fully. It documented a conversation about pregnancy and trying to get pregnant. I am a gay PhD student. Obviously that convo was not with me
I discovered recently I can read all my notes in “my chart”. I almost regret doing that. Some of the things that were recorded about me were just so inaccurate and straight up wrong. Smh
Oh my gosh, after I saw this comment I ran to the Denver health website to look at my charts. Some of the BHT comments were so incredibly snarky and a lot of the things they wrote were not professional at all. [*possible TW*] Jesus, also I cannot believe they let patients see their weight trends. Is it only accessible after you leave treatment?? I can’t believe that, if they deemed me “gravely disabled” from anorexia, that they’d also give me access to my weight trends, caloric intake, etc..
Nope it’s accessible from day one.
where do you find the comments? now i’m curious about what they said about me when I was there
I dunno I really regret reading those notes. I am still so disturbed that I have someone else’s notes in my notes and I have no idea what to do with that. This is regarding an extended conversation with a doctor about pregnancy risks with anorexia. I am not only 1) A PhD student with not a lot of time to get busy in that way if you know what I mean 2) Gay, so pregnancy would have to be quite intentional 3) Not married or committed and 4) Not suffering from anorexia. So yeah, fully another person’s notes.
They frequently record biased and inaccurate commentary in EVERYONE’S charts
They told me about another patients stillbirth. Dr. N is also the worst there she is extremely abusive and lied in my notes and the notes of others.
I will celebrate the day they are shut down, sued, closed, and/or publicly shamed, etc!
I’m so sorry they lured you there to be treated like this. It has taken me almost 10 years to recover from the psychological abuse I experienced between ACUTE & ERC.
They are master gaslighters. Doesn’t matter how sick you are, sticking up for yourself at ACUTE results in being belittled and dismissed. So glad people are finally talking about it, so sorry this happened to more people.
Same, I was there from May 15-July 15. Terrible experience while at Acute, to say the least, I could spend hours on the punitive treatment I received there. Finally made it to discharge day as a voluntary patient, and while I was waiting for my uber, the psychologist came to the parking garage, placed me on an m1 and I’ve been at ERC ever since because naturally they just extend it into a cert without a blink of the eye. I was at Acute for 60 days, “voluntarily”, which again doesn’t really mean anything, and they wait until I’m discharged and in the parking lot to do this. I’ve been at ERC now and I’ve just given up, it’s miserable and I don’t see the end coming any time soon
I’m so sorry you have had to experience that. I believe they wanted to hold me but my husband wasn’t supportive so they weren’t able to thankfully. I hope you can be home soon.
I completely agree with you Riri! I’d rather die than go back. The trauma is immeasurable and I’ll never trust the medical system again. They certed so many people while I was there and did many holds. If you don’t do everything they say or agree with everything they say about you, it is your broken brain talking. You have no agency there. It was like being in prison for a crime you didn’t commit. ***
***sentence redacted by admin per site policy against antisemitism
How did you know it’s 5 lbs a week? Is this true?
Based on the meal plan they put in my medical record. The calories listed would put me at 4-5 pounds a week at least.
It was true for me if you have a lot of weight restoration to do. They up that meal plan every two days because they want no less than five pounds per week
It’s different for everyone
According to a paper they published their goal is 3 to 4 pounds a week for clients whose goal is to get to a certain discharge weight.
The have published data suggesting this is true. This isn’t to scare anyone, but their goal rate of weight gain is 4-5 lbs a week and they believe aggressive weight restoration is best for their patient population. I’ve had eight acute stays and this is consistent with my experience more or less.
John- I agree with ladybug. It’s different for everyone. I have my records, and their goal was 2-3 lbs/week.
Dr. P manipulated and gas lit me. Lied. Falsified medical records. Told me I didn’t belong there multiple times. Belittled me. Condescending. Cruel.
I had a very unfortunate experience with a PM CNA also. I didn’t say anything. I’ve left ama because I simply didn’t want treatment so when all of this happened I didn’t say anything because people would just think it was an excuse. It wasn’t.
they take severely ill people with extensive trauma backgrounds, get them in a very vulnerable place, hurt them further, then gas light and blame them.
Dr. P should not have a license. The entire facility should be shut down. I returned home, spent a week in my local hospital trying to fix the mess they made, and am now home to deal with the additional trauma.
Im so sorry. I hate to see how many of us have had the same expedience there. It’s truly sickening. I hope we all get the help we actually need.
Dr. N abused me medically and emotionally. I had a death in my family during my admission and she literally said “that’s not my problem.”
I’m sorry you had such a traumatic experience. I did as well. I just don’t agree that they are out to “gaslight” us. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t agree with everything they do. But they are not doing in with poor intentions in mind. They are not trying to traumatize us. They are trying to save our lives. And maybe they do it in the wrong way, but their intentions are good nonetheless.
Lying and changing medical records and making patients doubt themselves is definitely gas lighting. Invalidating the experiences of others is disgusting. You must be an employee. If you are Dr. P, hi there, you’ve been caught in your lies and deception.
I most definitely do not work for the system. I am a former patient who just tries to see the best in people
Again, you clearly work for them. I’m aware they stalk this forum. Get back to helping patients instead of trolling please.
I think they have better things to do then stalk this forum…
They literally told my husband that they saw my review on here. They are always on here.
Ok, regardless if they stalk the forum, I promise I am not one of them haha. And I promise I am not defending them either haha. As a person in healthcare though, I just try to hope that my providers have good intentions. I mean, they took the Hippocratic oath, so I guess I just try to see the good… but seriously, I can relate to a lot of what you said. I am SEVERELY emotionally and physically traumatized from Acute. Feel free to email me if you ever need to rant some more 🙂
I can confirm both that ACUTE stalks EDTR (it’s why we have the no-name policy) and that ladybug is a real patient. <3
ACUTE proves to be utterly despicable! Thank you for the honesty. Clearly they continue to lack ethics. It’s baffling they continue to get away with banking off harming vulnerable people.
Yes be very careful all former patients when I was at acute they also stalked all current patients and tried to find things to use against them on their socials. Lock down before going even if you don’t post. Absolute disgusting behavior on their part.
wait you mean the ACUTE staff stalks patients on social media? That is extremely disturbing if this is true
Yes they have admitted to multiple people they do this. It’s disgusting.
This is 100% true. They approached me about something on SM and I was like whoa whoa whoa that is none of your business and creepy that you’d even look.
This is heinous. So many lines crossed. They bully and belittle and intimidate and they also twist the most innocent things to fit their narrative of you without even knowing you.
haha thanks yeah guys I swear I am real <3333 #mentalhealthhold #certified #goodtimes #acute4life
Only been one day since our comment confirming they stalk EDTR, and we’ve already received an email from ACUTE’s marketing director…
Funny typo on their part though haha
Tell them its unethical and immoral to stalk patients online this is so validating because I knew they were doing it but they lie
This is actually fcking hilarious
seriously, how can they possibly think this is okay??
It is grossly unethical and a conflict of interest to try and glean information to judge a patient based on what you see them post on the internet but ACUTE will Google you and use ANYTHING you’ve ever posted against you to make assumptions. This is a warning for anyone seeking care there. Lock your socials down. Even LinkedIn. They also accept “anonymous tips” and encourage former patients to report their peers by calling and emailing if anyone posts anything while on unit. It is fine to have the rule they have of no photos on the unit, but the lengths they go to to enforce it are morally reprehensible and encourage prejudice. There are unsavory forums for bullying anorexic women where they call ACUTE to give “tips” that aren’t even true about patients. It is absolutely unacceptable and needs to be brought to light.
cult vibes
ugh, i hate this place so much and it’s also the only medical facility for most adults. it has created such a nightmare situation for people who are desperately sick. shame, shame on them
They also weaponize the “sick enough” narrative and use it to psychologically abuse patients. It’s always “you’re not sick enough for x y z” and then “you’re too sick to make that call.” I’ve also heard abour staff comparing patients– ie “well some of our patients are hours from death, youre fine” and in my own experience a cna disclosed another patients trauma history to me.
Did they do anything for your hypoglycemia?
Because I was on bed rest there I didn’t have a single episode. It seems to be triggered more in my daily life.
Got ya. Did they gaslight you about the hypoglycemia too I had a similar experience where I would faint from low blood sugar at home but not while in the hospital as there’s no moving and was on 24/7 feeds. It was very frustrating to have ACUTE undermine everything. Hope you’re doing ok.
With hypoglycemia, they follow their protocol. So depending on how often they check (for me it was every 4 hours in the beginning), if it is below a certain number they offer you juice or glucose tab. Then they check again in 15 minutes. If it’s not increased you get more juice or glucose tab. Repeat until glucose is normal range.
I know the protocol just curious if they gaslit the other commenter about this medical issue too.
Anyway you could email me. I am currently here and have some concerns about a night CNA
Yeah. I won’t post my actual email here for obvious reason but you can email this and it will forward to me.
prof-posher8l@icloud.com
It’s enraging. Has anyone tried filing a lawsuit against them? I’m still paying for the mistake of entrusting my life to this place a decade ago. If I can’t file grievances due to statutes of limitations, I could probably still file complaints to their respective licensing boards. Justice for all!
This is a review based on my experience coming here for malnutrition rather than an ED. I fully recovered from AN five years but have been experiencing a lot of GI issues that really affect my ability to eat enough.
* When were you there?
* June 2025
* What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?
* They only offer inpatient
* If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible?
* Yes
* How many patients are there on average?
* 30 beds in all, but they have a relatively low census currently. I’ve seen several open beds, though I think this is not typical
* What genders does it treat?
* All
* How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc?
* MD – daily
* Psychiatrist – I saw only once a week but potentially more if you’re changing psych meds.
* Psychologist – 2-3 times a week. I’ve seen her twice a week so far.
* RD – daily aside from weekends
* RN – multiple times a day for meds/assessment
* Social worker – once at the beginning of your stay and then as needed closer to discharge. I may be seeing them more as I’m unfortunately having a bad experience and they may help with coordinating and communicating more? We will see.
* PT/OT – couple times per week. Maybe twice for each? They are both wonderful!
* What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
* On the first level you have 1:1 CNA with you at all times; on the second level you are with CNA during the day and video monitored at night; on the third level you only have CNA during meals/snacks/outings. I have been on a one to one this whole time as I haven’t been able to complete my food because of pain.
* What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)?
* No real therapy, just brief and solution focused
* OT/PT see you a couple times a week as well and they gave me a yoga flow for digestion and strength exercises. They understand the impact of malnutrition on the body so well and helped me feel like I could benefit from treatment and wasn’t just wasting time
Describe the average day:
* What were meals like?
Hospital food, so it is what it is. I’m vegetarian so have more limited options but I stick to basics and don’t mind it.
They really do care more about completion/calorie intake than anything. You can supplement and still counts as complete. You also can pick pretty much the same things every day if that’s what it takes to complete. I stick to low volume as I can. There are not a lot of fruit or veggies here at all! I don’t mind because those are painful for me.
* Meals are 30 minutes, snacks 20 minutes. CNA sits with you for support. Yes, even if you’re not here for an ED. You still have to follow all the table rules.
* What sorts of food were available or served?
* Breakfast: I typically try to do English muffin (grain), soy milk (dairy) and cream cheese (protein). Breakfast is always structured this way. Your other grain choice could be oatmeal, granola a bagel, toast, blueberry muffin, or pancakes once your meal plan increases, Other dairy options are milk and various flavors of yogurt. Other protein options are hard boiled or scrambled eggs or peanut butter
* Lunch: different types of sandwiches mostly. I do PB and J a lot and they’ll put things in a wrap form too if that’s easier. So they have a hummus and cheese flatbread that I do as a wrap. I could also do egg or tuna salad. As your meal plan increases, you’ll get cheese and mayo added to sandwiches and sides like pretzels or sun chips added
* Dinner: I typically can only pick between tofu and rice or pasta, with a sauce like teriyaki or sweet and sour. I could also get cheese pizza or a bean burrito bowl, but those would be really painful. I think you can also do one of the lunches here too!
* Snacks: They have A to E list snacks that go up in calorie density as your meal plan increases. I typically supplement to keep volume down, but snacks you could choose range from cottage cheese (a list) to banana and pb (c list) to carrot cake or a milkshake (e list)
* Drinks: 1 caffeinated drink per day (coffee at breakfast), tea at night, water (4 medium pitchers per day)
* Did they supplement? How did that system work?
* Yes. Ensure chocolate/vanilla or Ensure clear (more like a juice). I always choose clear as it’s easier on my GI system
* What is the policy of not complying with meals?
This is where I get sad. You are on ED protocol even if you’re here for a medical reason for malnutrition. So you stay on the lowest level, meaning a one to one at all times, no laps around the unit, no going outside. I’ve been inside for ten days now and I’m so sad because I feel like I’m being punished for struggling with pain. I was so surprised how they think I can magically eat all of this when I am here because I get pain so bad when I eat (history of vascular compressions). ED patients are tubed relatively quickly, but my doctors said they would never give me a tube because there is no medical indication. So I’m guessing if my labs were bad or weight lower, this would be another story, but my labs are never bad.
* Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan?
* Yes vegetarian. But I honestly could see you just choosing vegan options and no one minding. Remember the supplement isn’t vegan tho
* What privileges are allowed?
* On level 2 you can go on a 30-minute “outing” on Saturday/Sunday to the garden, gift shop or fountain. When you complete, you get laps around the unit. I believe there is a level (maybe copper?) where people get more outings as I see them outside frequently. You can still always have your electronics as long as they’re not interfering with treatment.
* Does it work on a level system?
* Yes. 3 levels. Each level affords you more outings and less staff supervision.
* How do you earn privileges?
* Completing meal plan and obviously medical stability, as you can’t go outside on telemetry or if you’re obviously really unwell
* What sort of groups do they have?
* 2 optional groups per week but I haven’t gone. I’m guessing they are just arts and crafts
* What did you like the most?
* That it is room based! I specifically did not want to be around folks with EDs at this time, as I now work in the field. Also PT, OT, and therapy dogs!
* What did you like the least?
* The way my doctors have been so dismissive and so quick to say I must just have an ED and be in denial and should go to residential at ERC. I am obviously not doing this, as I do not currently struggle with an ED, but my words fall on deaf ears. They pretty much just set food in front of me and if I can’t eat because of pain, well, I just don’t get to leave my room and that’s it. Nothing more except throwing a bunch of over the counter type meds at my GI system that don’t work
* Would you recommend this program?
Yes but only for EDs. Definitely would not recommend their malnutrition side of the program because it’s just the ED program
* What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
They are great about this if you are completing. I can do one gentle yoga flow for digestion and one maybe fifteen minute core strength and stretch PT session a day. You can walk a bit around the unit if you complete. You are on a gait belt when you get here, but most folks get off quickly. Be prepared to take seated showers!
* Do you get to know your weight?
* No
* If applicable: How fast is the weight gain process?
* Not sure but I honestly don’t think I’ve improved that much since coming here. They mainly emphasize medical stability over just weight gain, but I’d guess ED patients would gain maybe 2 or 3 pounds a week?
* What was the average length of stay?
* Apparently 2 to 3 weeks though I will be here shorter and others are here for more like 4 to 6 weeks.
* What was the average age range?
* You don’t really engage with the other patients at all but they are really it for medical stabilization for adults, so may skew a little older
* How do visits/phone calls work?
* You get your phone all day.
* Visits are in the afternoons (around 3-5) and longer on the weekends (11-5)
* What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)?
All allowed all the time, just not on the table at meals (no worries as the tv has Netflix) and def no privacy violations so you don’t want to be taking selfies or whatever
* What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment?
They really try to get you to residential…even if you don’t have an ED. It’s bizarrere
* Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?
* Yes. Hotels in the area have discounts but not by much. It’s an expensive flight. Air ambulance is available for transfer if necessary but idk how they decide that
Some years ago I ran into a girl at ED treatment… who didn’t have an ED. She had been at ACUTE and they’d forced her to step down to an ED program even though she didn’t have one. The program we were at believed her and discharged her pretty much immediately. I had thought they might have improved since they now advertise as treating malnutrition from medical issues in absence of ED but I guess not. I’m sorry you aren’t having a good experience! Good luck with everything
This is so validating!!
I’m here now as well for malnutrition not ED related. My dietician unfortunately does not let me eat the same things everyday even though I know which foods make the high meal plan more bearable. Also, I tend to need to supplement quite a bit because my stomach cannot handle a large volume of food since I have severe (non eating disorder induced) gastroparesis, however my dietician (again some are nicer than others but I did not get lucky) took away my ability to supplement so I’m forced to complete without supplement and if I don’t I will be tubed. So just beware anyone who may consider coming here some dieticians are nicer than others.
Also even though I don’t have an ED, they are making me step down to ERC inpatient
Well that’s all awful but this is also validating
General:
* When were you there?
* October 2024
* What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?
* They only offer inpatient
* If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible?
* Yes
* How many patients are there on average?
* 30; often full
* What genders does it treat?
* All
* How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc?
* MD – daily
* Psychiatrist – twice a week maybe
* Psychologist – 2-3 times a week maybe
* RD – daily aside from weekends
* RN – multiple times a day for meds/assessment
* Social worker – once at the beginning of your stay and then as needed closer to discharge
* PT/OT – couple times per week
* What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
* On the first level you have 1:1 CNA with you at all times; on the second level you are with CNA during the day and video monitored at night; on the third level you only have CNA during meals/snacks/outings
* What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)?
* Depends on your therapist
* OT/PT see you a couple times a week as well and may give you strength or balance exercises
Describe the average day:
* What were meals like?
* They care more about completion/calorie intake so if you can’t finish your meal or snack they’re usually really understandable if you supplement. If you only supplement, they’ll have a conversation with you about it, though.
* Meals are 30 minutes, snacks 20 minutes. CNA sits with you for support.
* What sorts of food were available or served?
* Breakfast: oatmeal, eggs, cereal and milk, muffin, toast, cottage cheese, yogurt, peanut/sun butters, cream cheese, granola, biscuit
* Lunch: different types of sandwiches (PB&J, hummus and cucumber, deli, cheese, egg/tuna), mac n’ cheese, tofu, salmon, mashed potatoes, omelets, pizza, burrito bowls, soft tacos, veggie burger…. possibly a side of melon, berries, pretzels, chips
* Dinner: (can always interchange lunch/dinner meals) Asian noodle bowl, salmon, sandwiches, pizza, bean burritos, chicken, tofu, etc… (I ate vegetarian so I’m not sure about the other protein options)
* Snacks: all sorts of basics… fruit + sun/peanut butter, pretzels, goldfish, pudding, cookies, trail mix, nuts, Cliff bars, oatmeal, cheese + fruit, juice, Lara bars, Fig Newtons, chips and guacamole, chips, popcorn, brownies, granola + milk, yogurt, cheese and crackers, pita and hummus, yogurt covered pretzels/raisins, carrot cake, Magic Cup, etc.
* Drinks: 1 caffeinated drink per day (coffee at breakfast), 1 carbonated drink per day (diet Sprite), tea as desired, water (4 medium pitchers per day)
* Did they supplement? How did that system work?
* Yes. Ensure chocolate/vanilla or Ensure clear (more like a juice). You have an additional 10 minutes to complete your supplement if you didn’t finish your meal/snack.
* What is the policy of not complying with meals?
* Probably a talk with your MD/RD and eventually a tube, but you lose privileges that way.
* Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan?
* Yes vegetarian. Many options.
* What privileges are allowed?
* On level 2 you can go on a 30-minute “outing” on Saturday/Sunday to the garden, gift shop or fountain. You can always have your electronics as long as they’re not interfering with treatment.
* Does it work on a level system?
* Yes. 3 levels. Each level affords you more outings and less staff supervision.
* How do you earn privileges?
* Completing meal plan, getting approval from therapists, being strong enough, etc.
* What sort of groups do they have?
* 2 optional groups per week (psych and OT)
* What did you like the most?
* The entire team and staff are SO incredibly warm and caring and they all seem to be on the same page and keep you in the loop.
* What did you like the least?
* It can get suuuuuper boring… you barely can leave your room and it’s literally a hospital so nothing much to do when you’re not eating or seeing providers…
* Would you recommend this program?
* Undoubtedly. It is a lifesaving program.
* What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
* PT/OT may give you exercises or yoga to do daily.
* Initially, you can only move in a wheelchair or with a gait belt. Once you’re approved you can take laps around the unit after meals/snacks. They discourage pacing or walking excessively.
* What did people do on weekends?
* Outings, read, puzzles, visits, movies, crocheting, art, etc.
* Do you get to know your weight?
* No
* If applicable: How fast is the weight gain process?
* Not sure. I think they up your meal plan until they see you gaining consistently – probably 2-5 lbs a week depending on your metabolism?
* What was the average length of stay?
* 1-3 weeks or longer if necessary
* What was the average age range?
* 15+ but you don’t really engage with the other patients at all.
* How do visits/phone calls work?
* You get your phone all day.
* Visits are in the afternoons (around 3-5) and longer on the weekends (11-5 maybe?)
* What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)?
* You can have whatever you want with you in your room.
* What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team?
* Social Worker is very on top of connecting you to the step-down program of your choice and ensuring a safe and effective direct discharge. They highly recommend stepping down to residential and will strongly encourage it.
* Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?
* Yes. Hotels in the area have discounts. Air ambulance is available for transfer if necessary.
Thank you for your review! I may be going next week, with the plan of discharging back to my outpatient team. My OP team is in agreement with the plan, and Acute has told me I can discharge straight back to OP as long as I have a team set up, but I’ve heard that they will try to hold you once you get there if you don’t go straight to IP/res. Did you ever see people discharge back to outpatient?
Not sure tbh. I think it’s possible and they’re more lax than they used to be supposedly but if you’re still super uw or something they’ll probably heavily pressure you to at least consider a higher level of care than just op… don’t not go because of that though – if they told you they’ll go along with your op team then I’d believe them. Hope you have a healing experience!
Yes I have especially if they think that’s going to be best option and you have a full on team but will say it doesn’t happen to often
What is the bathroom protocol? Do they allow you to AMA? [*TW*] Can you refuse a tube if you’re an adult? [*END TW*]
Bathroom use is all heavily watched. Definitely no on AMA . They court mandate ALL THE TIME for people to stay in treatment. No refusals either
If you even speak the words “AMA”, you will find yourself on a mental health hold shortly thereafter 🙂
When were you there?
September 2024 – October 2024
What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?
Inpatient (that’s the only level of care at Acute)
Is it wheelchair accessible?
Yes.
How many patients are there on average?
30 bed unit – people come and go, but while I was at ACUTE, there always seemed to be 2-5 beds open at any given point in time. I was told that ACUTE is expanding – taking over a portion of another floor in order to add an additional 10 beds.
What genders does it treat?
All. It was 90% female patients while I was there.
If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people?
I do not know, but I think so.
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc.?
Medical Doctor: 5x/wk
Psych: 5x/wk
Dietitian: 5x/wk
Social Worker: 2x/wk
PT and OT: 2x/wk
CNA, Charge Nurse, and Nurse: multiple times per day
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)?
You see your therapist 5x/wk for about 20 minutes. The goal of this program is to get you to a healthy enough weight so that you can pursue counseling elsewhere.
Describe the average day:What were meals like? Examples: Breakfast: eggs, milk, toast with butter and tea or coffee
Lunch: veggie burger with Sunchips, and tea or soda
Dinner: Asian noodle bowl with peanut sauce and tofu and tea or soda
Snacks: 3x/day (Ensure Plus, popcorn, chips, pretzels, etc.)
What sorts of food were available or served? Standard hospital fair (vegetarian available)
Did they supplement? How did that system work? Yes. If you can’t finish you are required to supplement (e.g. Ensure Plus)
Also, you can request a supplement (e.g. Ensure Plus) if you don’t feel like finishing a meal or snack. I did that a few times when the volume was just too much.
What is the policy of not complying with meals? Supplement, then tubing.
Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan? Vegetarian yes – I do not believe vegan is allowed
What privileges are allowed? Cellphone and electronics at ALL times
Outings on Level B and C
Laps around the unit floor for all levels (more laps allowed for Levels B & C)
Level A – CNA with you 24/7
Level B – CNA with you 7:30 am to 7:30 pm and evening snack
Level C – CNA with you during meals, snacks and shower only
Does it work on a level system? Yes. Level Aspen, Level Breckenridge, and Level Copper
How do you earn privileges? I requested to be moved off of Level Aspen on day 4 and was granted my request.
I got Level Copper after 5 days by default (they were short staffed).
You need to be safe and compliant (eating and accepting supplements) to move up.
What sort of groups do they have? They only offered two groups while I was there: OT Group and a standard therapy group.
If applicable: Is the program trauma-informed? No.
I have a history of childhood sexual abuse and was still assigned a male CNA on Level Aspen and Level Breck. It wasn’t until after I had him for 3 days that they told me I could request NOT to have a male nurse.
What did you like the most? Electronics Policy and the amount of free time.
What did you like the least? Having a CNA with you 24/7 in the beginning. Even on Level B and C, when the CNA just sits there staring at you, one-on-one, while you eat, pee, etc. is really unnerving! Also, Calorie increases were every 3 days, which I personally felt was REALLY fast.
Would you recommend this program? Yes. Staff was so wonderful – very caring and nice (one or 2 exceptions of course, but overall, fantastic people working there).
What level of activity or exercise was allowed? VERY minimal – laps around the floor, light yoga, stretching & minimal body-weight strength training
What did people do on weekends? Lots of personal/free time to talk with family & friends, work on hobbies, watch movies, TV
Do you get to know your weight? Nope
If applicable: How fast is the weight gain process? Depends on the person – about 2-5 lbs per week
What was the average length of stay? Varies widely. I was told 5 to 9 days and was there 3 weeks. I came voluntarily too. It may have been longer too, but I badgered them on a daily basis for a discharge date from day 8 on…
What was the average age range? I’m 51 – I saw at least 2 other ladies that were in my age group, but most of the other patients were in there 20 and 30’s.
How do visits/phone calls work? Visiting hours on the weekends are from 11:30 – 5:30, and during the week: 4:00 – 5:45 pm
You have your phone with you at all times
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)? All at all times (when you are meeting with someone, like the nurse or doctor, they obviously expect you to turn your electronics off.)
Are you able to go on outings/passes? No passes. Outings Level Copper are 30 min. daily & 30 min 2x/day on Sat & Sunday.
Level Breck – Outings are only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Outings are to the Gift Shop, fountain or the Garden (Garden is fantastic).
What kind of aftercare do they provide? None
Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team? You are assigned a Social Worker immediately. The SW will work super hard to find you after-care treatment. The expectation is that YOU ARE GOING to treatment DIRECTLY after leaving ACUTE.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country? Majority of patients are from out-of-state, so yes. They even pick you up directly from the airport.
hey! would you be willing to email, I have a few questions about your stay. if not, I can ask here anyway.
did you go to treatment after? I’m looking to admit but im scared they’ll cert me. I want to go back to outpatient.
You bet – [redacted]
A few things I forgot to include:
Feel free to bring your own health and beauty products; although, you will be given a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, lotion, eye mask for sleeping and ear plugs. They do not provide you with a hair dryer, so be sure to bring that if it’s something you use on a regular basis. Also, you are allowed to bring an electric razor however, you must use it infront of your CNA. Flat irons and curling irons are also allowed.
If you have the ability to bring with you blankets and a pillow, I strongly recommend bringing those items – especially the pillow! The bed is extremely comfortable but the pillow has got to be the worst pillow I’ve ever used in my entire life!
You are allowed to take a shower every morning. While in the shower, your CNA will sometimes make up your bed for you and/or change the sheets for you. Other CNAs you will need to expressly request fresh sheets from in order to receive them.
Laundry occurs 2x per week. Again, some CNAs are really good about taking your laundry for you, while others, you will need to ask/remind them that you have laundry that needs to get done.
Lastly, once you reach Level Copper, you get an outing once per day Monday through Friday, and twice per day on Saturdays and Sundays. You can go to the gift shop or the garden. The garden has these super comfortable swinging chairs that I absolutely loved!
Are you or a loved one heading to Acute? Please be assured y’all will be in very good hands, treated with respect and kindness by well-trained, professional staff.
My DD was med jetted to Denver to go to Acute. She was very malnourished with pneumonia. She was in Acute for just a few hours before her oxygen demand picked up and then spent 6 weeks in the DH ICU and PCU, then finally moved back to Acute for stabilization for an additional 6 weeks. Acute oversaw her nutrition in the ICU and PCU – thank goodness. Our local hospital had no idea how to nourish her and actually made her pneumonia worse, while not feeding her adequately for 6 days.
Acute knew exactly what to do, and provided a full time CNA, even in the ICU. As a parent, I can’t adequately explain to you the healing power of that 24×7 CNA. I was able to leave the hospital and sleep. Life saving. The CNAs were not all chatty, but they were all kind and attentive. I enjoyed chatting and my DD enjoyed the sound of happy chatter in the background. A group of really nice, well-trained, and kind Denverites. I want to hug them all.
Once she got to Acute, she had a full time CNA for a few weeks until she was able to step up to B level. It was a big deal when she dropped the night CNA – first privacy in 2.5 months. She was treated with respect and kindness most of the time at Acute.
It was a really long road to recovery. Going to Denver was the right call for my DD. Denver Health is full of amazing and kind medical professionals. DH ICU saved her life, Acute renourished and stabilized her. She is off to the Denver ERC next week to continue her healing journey. So proud of her and grateful for the care at Acute.
We occasionally saw patients on their laps around the unit. There were people from many backgrounds, men and women, young, middle-aged, and seniors.
Notes for parents or guardians:
• Your family member will need to okay you for medical information (ROI?) or you will have no idea what is going on. Having another adult roped into the care plan is really important – malnourished brains don’t work as well and sometimes comprehension is off. If your family member won’t give you ROI, try to find another adult they might trust.
• My DD is an adult but under 21. The social worker set up a free stay for us at the Ronald McDonald House because they work with Denver Health (but not ERC). Otherwise, Acute has a few hotel codes to get you a discounted place to stay nearby.
• You will need a car. There is nothing near the hospital and local transportation is very light in the hospital area. (Great city planning, Denver!) Lyfts are plentiful and there are scooters all over, but the nurses in the ICU talked me out of using them. Car rental prices have really gone up. Don’t use ACE (they have a non-negotiable $28/day fee because there is some sort of problem with their corporate insurance), but FOX is trustworthy.
• The social worker is amazing.
• Visiting hours are weekdays Group 1 (3:30-5:15) or Group 2 (4-5:45), weekends 11-5:15 or 5:45 depending on your group. You need to leave the room for snacks and meals. Don’t bring any outside food or drink or they’ll confiscate it at the nurse’s desk.
• Patients can have screens 24×7, and call you whenever they like, except snacks and meals.
• You can ask for a fan or a Bair hugger. We snuck in a clip fan for her side-table.
• There is little to no interaction between patients, besides an occasional crafting group.
• We met some parents in the waiting area. It would be nice if Acute would set up a standing parent lunch or something, like “lunch on Sundays in the hospital cafeteria at 12”.
• The social worker can set up a meeting with the care team and parents. We called in my husband and a doctor friend no problem. The team meeting had the doctor, nurse manager, pt, speech, and dietician. It was invaluable to get all the information at once.
• Acute is filled with really nice people that will call bullshit and file a 90 day mental health hold if needed. They will take over legal care and your loved one will not be allowed to leave the state for 90 days. This will narrow their treatment options for RTC/PHP/IOP as they recover to Colorado only facilities. Does your loved one need to know this? Continued autonomy can be a very motivating carrot. (We did not experience this “tough love” mode first hand, but I’ve read about it online.) Acute will not allow your loved one to fail. Acute understands they are the last stop in ED care, and the repercussions of not recovering.
When were you there? June-july 2024
What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?Inpatient
If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible?Yes
How many patients are there on average? I think its a 30 bed unit? And almost always full to capacity
What genders does it treat?All
If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people? Yes
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc? Medical doctor: every day, psychiatrist: once a week, psychologist: 2-3 times a week, nutritionist: 3-4 times a week, occupational therapist 1-2 times a week, physical therapist 1-2 times a week
What is the staff-to-patient ratio? 1:1 or 1:2 when they’re understaffed if you’re on a higher level (explained below)
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)? I didn’t notice any particular modality being used. Time with your psychologist is pretty brief.
Describe the average day:
There are two different schedules depending on what side of the unit you’re on. I believe the other side had meals half an hour earlier, excluding night snack which was at the same time
4-6:30 AM: weights and vitals, potentially labs
7:30-8 AM: shower time if you’re on level C
9-9:30 AM: Breakfast
9:30-11 AM: Provider sessions/free time
11-11:20 AM: Snack
11:20-1:15 PM: Provider sessions/free time, half hour outing on weekends if on level C
1:15-1:45 PM: Lunch
1:45-3:35 PM: Provider sessions/free time/I believe there were 2 groups a week offered at this time
3:35-3:55: snack
4-6 PM: visiting hours, half hour outing on weekends if on level B or C
6-6:30 PM: Dinner
6:30-8:30 PM: Free time
8:30-8:50 PM: Snack
What were meals like?You sit at a table and your CNA/BHT sits in a chair watching, you can watch TV/watch something on your laptop but the laptop has to be off the table. Sometimes it felt a little uncomfortable to be watched but most of the CNAs were pretty respectful about giving you enough space. You have 30 minutes for meals and 20 for snacks, but can get up from your table as soon as you’re done. I didn’t want conversation but I know some BHTs will talk to you if that’s how you feel supported, although a lot of BHTs were super awkward/didnt seem to want to converse at all so I would recommend being prepared to watch tv or listen to music etc. during meals.
What sorts of food were available or served? It’s hospital food, but a lot of variety and customization is available. I really appreciated how many options there were and how much choice went into the meal plan, which you go over and choose with your dietician every few days. I will say that because they limit sodium so much I really missed having seasoning/salt in my food, but you can order sodium free seasoning on the side of your meals along with other condiments.
Did they supplement? How did that system work?I think that they supplement with ensure or ensure clear, the handbook says you get 10 minutes to finish supplement. I always completed so can’t really speak to this.
What is the policy of not complying with meals? As I said, I always completed but I have heard they are super quick to NG tube. Also increases the likelihood of getting carted.
Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan? I would think you could eat vegetarian but it would severely limit your food options. I think it would be impossible/incredibly discouraged to be vegan.
What privileges are allowed? On Level B: No CNA with you from 7 PM-7AM (on level A they’re with you in the room 24/7 which sucks), 2 additional laps around the unit, going outside for 30 minutes in a wheelchair on the weekends. On Level C: No CNA with you other than during meals (but you are watched 24/7 on security cams in your room, not a problem for me but I know it could be for other people), 30 minute outing every day and 2 on the weekends
Does it work on a level system? Yes, levels A, B, and C. Levels are based on medical stability (for example if you’re still on 24/7 heart monitor, gait belt, glucose checks, or 4 hour vital checks you can’t move up past level A yet) and also compliance/mental state and not being shady or engaging in behaviors. I will say they were super quick to move me up levels, more than on past stays, I think mostly due to staff issues
How do you earn privileges? Compliance, engaging in therapy, improving medical status, not engaging in behaviors.
What sort of groups do they have? I never went to groups (they’re 100% optional) but there was an OT group and a therapy group once a week each. I went to groups on past stays and found them super basic/unhelpful as someone who’s been in therapy for a long time as a lot of people at acute have, groups were mostly about just getting out of your room/actually seeing other humans
What was your favorite group? See above
If applicable: Is the program trauma-informed? Complicated. Not at all sensitive to treatment/medical trauma I will say but mindful of pairing male staff members with people with trauma with men, which is nice (not me personally but I know other people who dealt with that).
What did you like the most? It goes without saying they’re super well informed on all medical aspects of eating disorders, and they were able to help with GI issues that I had been feeling really defeated by which made eating so so much easier. As I said, being able to customize and tailor the meal plan was great too, the dietitians are really good about suggestions to manage volume as the meal plans increase and there’s so many options not on the menus as well. Although obviously psychologically difficult, I will say they did everything to make taking in food as physically easy as possible. As much as I think it was due to staffing, I also do appreciate how quickly they moved me off of constantly being with staff once they saw I was motivated and compliant. Also as someone who’s been doing the recovery thing for a while honestly it was a relief to not have to go to groups/hear the same old shit I’ve heard a million times.
What did you like the least? It’s been said a lot, but the quality of care has decreased since a few years ago. I don’t want to scare anyone off though, I didn’t find it as traumatizing/compromising as it seems like some others here did, I just noticed that because I was an “easy” patient (compliant and completing) it often didn’t seem like staff or clinicians really had time for me/felt like they could see me less than promised or put me off because there were bigger crises to handle. I don’t want to seem entitled, I recognize this is a place where there’s a lot of people who are struggling mentally and they deserve immediate care, but in the past I felt like they were well staffed enough to provide for the needs even of patients like me.
The other big thing that’s no surprise is how fanatical they are about residential treatment, to the extent that it feels cult like. I was able to discharge straight to outpatient but every conversation about it felt exhausting, like I had to be so so careful with my words rather than being truly authentic with a lot of clinicians because I know they’re so black and white about things. Only being able to go outside for 5 minutes when it was over 90 degrees sucked and felt arbitrary to me. Also giving 0 outdoor time to people on level A now feels very unfair when a lot of moving up has to do with medical stability- feels like a punishment for things out of your control. Also it seemed like when the rounding med doctors switched/you got a new doctor treatment could be inconsistent/there wasn’t great communication between drs which is obviously a little nerve-racking for an ED patient and this admission was the first time I’ve gotten that sense. And the psychologists/groups are not going to be anything new or revelatory if you’ve been in recovery for a while, which can be hard when you’re struggling to feel kind of unsupported.
Would you recommend this program?If you’re in a place where you need medical stabilization, yes. I know it’s a lot of people’s only option and I want to stress that my problems with the program do Not mean I would ever hesitate to recommend it to someone if it would save their life. They really do know what they’re doing and can provide truly essential medical care in a way that few other places are equipped to do, especially for adults. So if you’ve been recommended to go, please do reach out to them.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed? When deemed appropriate by PT, 2 laps around the unit after every meal and 1 lap after morning snack and afternoon snack on levels B and C. When you first get there you’re on gait belt which means someone essentially has to hold you by the waist every time you stand/move, until PT deems you not a fall risk. Also when deemed appropriate can do a short yoga program/movement program in your room, both take about 10/15 minutes.
What did people do on weekends?Honestly weekdays were almost as boring as weekends for me because as I said, a lot of clinicians kind of blew me off. So same as weekdays for me, work that I had to do on my computer, read, draw, puzzles, watch movies etc.
Do you get to know your weight? No.
If applicable: How fast is the weight gain process?3-5 lbs a week. This is a med stabilization unit so it’s pretty aggressive.
What was the average length of stay? Annoying answer but it’s really individual and based on medical stability and then also meeting a certain body weight %. It’s been very different for me each time I was admitted.
What was the average age range? Really the largest age range of anywhere I’ve ever been. I saw patients who were teenagers, all the way up to in their 70s/80s. Skews older than most places.
How do visits/phone calls work? Visiting time on the weekdays on my side of the unit was 4-5:45 on weekdays, 11:30-5:45 on weekends with your visitors having to leave during meal times.
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)? You can have all your electronics all the time.
For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go on outings/passes? Just outside in the wheelchair like I mentioned, or occasionally walking around the hospital campus during PT sessions.
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team? They will push residential on you aggressively. I discharged to OP but it’s the only time that’s happened to me in my stays here and it’s rare, I have some special circumstances that made them not totally throw out my plan. If you don’t want to be shuttled to ERC Denver (which I wouldn’t recommend), come in with a solid step down plan and (I can not stress this enough) comply to the best of your ability and show that you’re motivated to recover. I know easier said than done, but if you know anything about the mental health laws in Colorado you know this is absolutely crucial if you don’t want to be certified. They seemed to be a little slower to cert/more open to alternatives this time (as I said I discharged straight to OP), but I’m also someone who is very compliant and had a very comprehensive plan coming in.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country? Most people are from out of state!
Great review and I highly agree with all of it. I would recommend it to someone who needs medical stability but overall I feel like the program has gone down hill. I too am planning to discharge to outpatient and the team is not supportive of it. I am interested in knowing how you were able to discharge to outpatient.
I’d be happy to email you about it because I don’t really feel comfortable disclosing too much more specific/personal on this public forum! let me know if that’s something you’d be interested in and we can exchange contact info.
I’ve been to ACUTE before and getting ready to admit again as they are the most medically-competent and equipped. However, I’ve heard there have been lots of changes since I was there a little over a year ago and would love to hear more, as well as about your discharge plan. Can I email you? Or you’re welcome to email me: [redacted].
@Rachel (admin) is familiar with me, some of my journey, and some of my current plight.
emailed you!
There is a very recent Review pinned at the top.It is very accurate
Also this is such a great review @anon! My journey sounds exactly like yours and based on what you’ve written, it actually doesn’t sound like much has changed since my last stay there (I’ve been there 3x), but I also do not have a primary ED — it’s secondary due to multiple chronic GI illnesses — and was always compliant and completing, although I know this is not true for many and there are struggles I’m grateful to not face in that regard.
One specific question: a recent review mentioned that they no longer allow any gum/mints. Do you know if that is true? Last time I went, you were still allowed a certain amount each day.
glad to have some solidarity!
gum and mints were not part of my protocol but I saw other patients chewing gum, so I do believe that they can still be ordered by your doctor/team!
thanks for sharing your experience as well, I often felt very isolated/out of place in being so compliant in this milieu this stay, seemed like I was pretty alone.
I am also interested. I have been to ACUTE and was considering looking into it again to “kick-start” refeeding but now I’m not so sure… email me if possible [redacted]
I’m here now (I’m the ‘anonymous’ from above) and there are a lot of open rooms, although I was told they have a waitlist. If this is the level of care you need, I wouldn’t wait. You can email me at [redacted] for more questions/info! I just admitted last week (it’s my 4th time here) and will have quite a long stay, it looks like.
Are you still there? I’m coming soon and have questions
I am! You can email me at [redacted].
I was there a few weeks ago, and I stayed for a couple of months. Feel free to email me @ [redacted]
Hi @Desperate — This is [redacted] — Hope I see you in the hallways, always helpful to see a friendly face! Feel free to email me
I am also likely coming soon, in the next 2 weeks. Was admitted just finalizing travel plans etc
When were you there?
May 2024 – June 2024
What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?
Inpatient
If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible?
Yes
How many patients are there on average?
there are 30-beds in the unit. you really never see the other patients unless in the optional groups or when taking laps.
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined?
all genders welcome
Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people?
Yes!
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc?
Medical doctor: every day; Psychiatrist: as needed (im not on meds so I’ve only met her twice); psychologist: 2-3 times per week, dietitian: every other day or 4-5 times a week, OT: 1 time a week, PT 1-2 times a week, social worker: 1-2 times a week
What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
1:1 One Behavioral Health Tech (BHT) or Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) per patient
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, etc.)?
It must depend on who your psychologist is. I mainly talk and fill out a worksheet for the next meet
Describe the average day:
(level copper)
7:05-7:35 Shower/get ready
735 – 815 AM Medications/RM assessment
815 – 845 Breakfast
845 – 855 2 laps
900 – 1015 Provider sessions
1025 – 1045 Morning Snack
1045 – 1055 1 lap
1100 – 1230 provider sessions
(1200-1225 on weekends only – outside outing)
1230 – 100 lunch
100 – 110 2 laps
115 – 200 provider sessions
200 – 300 optional group
300 – 320 afternoon snack
320 – 330 1 lap
330 – 515 free time and visiting hours
440 – 510 outside outing
515 – 545 dinner
545 – 555 2 laps
600 – 700 free time
700 – 730 nurse shift change
730 – 800 PM medications and RN assessment
8/830/9 bedtime snack
(level aspen: no laps or outings, you have a CNA or BHT with you 24/7)
(level Breckenridge: laps and outings, you have a CNA or BHT with you from 7am until 7pm)
(level copper: laps and outings, CNA or BHT only during meal times)
What were meals like?
(im vegetarian)
example day week 1
breakfast: cereal, soy/milk, scrambled egg, coffee
lunch: pbj
dinner: rice and tofu/salmon
example day week 4
breakfast: oatmeal cooked in soy/milk, berries, almonds, coffee
lunch: wrap with cheese and hummus, cucumbers, tomato, lettuce, and trail mix or chips
dinner: stir fry rice with veg and tofu
Did they supplement? How did that system work?
They use Ensure Plus or Ensure Clear for supplement. the measure it on how much of your meal you don’t complete, they are pretty accurate with it.
What is the policy of not complying with meals?
I think you get an NG tube.
Are you able to eat vegetarian?
Yes, I am vegetarian and they have lots of options.
What privileges are allowed?
You are allowed to go outside (after you get the heart monitor off), the gift shop, or the tunnel to paint on the walls, 1-2 times per day
Does it work on a level system?
there are 3 levels, Aspen, Breckenridge and Copper. I started at aspen where you have a CNA with you 24/7, then Breck where the CNA is only with you 7am-7pm, and then Copper where you only have a CNA at meals. I found it pretty easy to move up just by asking
What sort of groups do they have?
psychology groups or OT (occupational therapy) groups
What did you like the most?
the level of care is very high and everyone is very sweet. you can tell they all want the best for you are are willing to explain scary medical topics to you in an understandable way that doesn’t make you feel stupid.
What did you like the least?
you have 0 privacy, which is too be expected, but having someone watch you shower/ pee/ sleep is always gonna be weird. when you aren’t physically with someone they have cameras to keep an eye on you.
Would you recommend this program?
Yes, the people working here really care about you and your health and take it very seriously
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
It is decided by your physical therapist (PT). most can do laps around the unit after eating. when approved you can do yoga in your room. during PT sessions you can walk outside and do small weight training
What did people do on weekends?
I typically read or call friends/family. you also get 2 outside times during weekends
Do you get to know your weight?
No
How fast is the weight gain process?
its all about weight restoration to 70% of your ideal body weight but also about medical stabilization
What was the average length of stay?
it really depends on the individual, I was originally told 1-2 weeks but I’ve been here for 4 weeks.
What was the average age range?
wide range from 20s-80s
How do visits/phone calls work? What is the electronics policy?
You have your phone and laptop/other electronics 24/7. visitor hours during the week are 330-515 and weekend 11-515
For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go out on passes?
You can go outside (you have to be in a wheelchair) to the garden or front of the hospital, to the tunnel to paint, or to the gift shop.
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team?
You meet with a social worker to work on a discharge plan. they recommend residential after and will help you set everything up
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?
pretty much everyone is from out of state or country.
Thank you for posting this. I am most likely admitting on Tuesday, are you still there? I thought that only let you outside 1-2 times per week, is it per day again? If so I feel so much better about going. If you are still there, would you mind exchanging emails. My email is [redacted] (Rachel- can you delete when they have it?). Thank you again.
If you scroll towards the top there is a current post from this month. I have attached the link that explains all the new rules and outings. A LOT has changed. I was in there last May and Back in August and I was flabbergasted on all the changes… and they all suck!!! Here’s the link to the review.. https://edtreatmentreview.com/denver-acute/#comment-30372
Thank you for linking this. I was hoping maybe the outing rules changed since you reported them. I appreciate your thorough review.
ya! ill email you!
Thank you so much for sharing!
I was looking at going IP at ERC Denver, but now they are telling me I likely have to do ACUTE first. So far everyone I have spoken to has been super nice, but they haven’t been great about responding to my email questions. Do you know if once you are discharged from ACUTE, can you return home (coming from Wisconsin) for further treatment, or do you HAVE to go directly to IP? I ask because I’m worried about the costs of all this… How can I not?
One place I looked at, my out-of-pocket portion would have been $23,000 for 30 days! That said, they told me my insurance likely would have cut me off after 15 to 20 days (they run on an approval cycle increment of 5-days). I have to imagine that the out-of-pocket costs (even after insurance) for 3-4 weeks of ACUTE isn’t cheap! Then add to that IP costs… yikes!
My insurance covers 90% (after deductible) for IP, but will cover ZERO residential treatment. They will however cover a portion of IOP and PHP – thankfully those are much less $$$.
Look into Project Heal, Withall, and other grant options. Treatment is insanely expensive.
If you stay as long as ACUTE recommends, they give you some leeway as to where you go, but they will strongly encourage you to continue to the next recommended level of care.
I’ll mirror what very anonymous said! Check out Project HEAL, Withall.org, Moonshadows Spirit, The eating disorder foundation.
If you do not have any coverage for residential they will probably let you do PHP/IOP but may make you stay until you’re at a bit higher IBW. That’s what they did for me.
That’s really good to know. I was planning on doing ERC’s IOP. I live in WI, and they offer the virtual IOP (helpful for going back to work).
I am admitting Wednesday as a Vegan and im worried about what to expect. I was told they at least had Kate Farms as an option, but was wondering if someone could share menu’s? I also am wondering how strict about bed rest they are or if you can be about in the room. Thank you? Also coffee/tea outside of meals?
Are you there now and if so can you answer some questions I have?
I am happy to answer any questions!
What is your email?
Hi Lucy! You might not remember since it’s been awhile, but the preference is that questions/answers happen on the site rather than over personal emails so that everyone can benefit. You always have good questions too, that are shared by a lot of others out there who are too nervous to ask, so I’d especially like for other people to get to see the info! ❤️ Sometimes another community member will offer on their own to provide their email, but unless they do that of their own volition (without the pressure of someone asking them to), you should assume they are offering to answer questions here on the site rather than offering to email one-on-one. In this case, A offered to answer questions, but they didn’t offer to email, so you should ask your questions on here! Don’t worry about accidentally sounding triggering, I’ll redact or rephrase anything that needs to be so that you don’t have to stress about it. ❤️❤️
Coffee and tea only at meals, you cannot be out of bed/a chair unless you are doing physical therapy. You choose your meals with your RD but it’s pretty limited as a vegetarian, much less vegan. They will likely push back a bit on that.
Good luck!
Been to Acute multiple times since 2017 and honestly I can say hand on my heart, that every time it’s gotten progressively worse.
From having been there earlier this year, I just want to for warn others, they just want the money and to fill beds.
it’s not about the uniqueness of the program anymore- which honestly used to be so nurturing and supportive. Now it’s really just about their staffing and you have to earn a basic human need of going outside for fresh air with their new level system.
It honestly is a joke.
It’s been a very hard thing to see how it’s shifted to be more about filling bed’s and overall profit than meeting individuals and patients where they are with compassion and empathy as well as trying to make their stay with them as comfortable as possible, Now, it seems to be more about protocols, level systems and what would be more convenient for the staff- rather than the client.
I was last here where they had the new level system in place. Truth be told, it was very hard to see and adjust to. No outings at least for the first week as you have to be on tele- and in order to actually move up you HAVE to be on camera (of which I was not comfortable with). Really its because it free’s up their staff so they can fill more bed’s.
No gum, nor mints anymore either. Everything is scheduled now- all the way from when you can take your laps (after meals). No room changes unless something breaks because they say it’s a waste of their resources (cleaning the room).
I used to feel very safe emotionally and really taken care of when I was at Acute the first times I was here. And felt very heard and individualized care. Now though, it’s very standardized. No room for any form of individualization.
They say most clients like to be alone without access to their bathroom or trash and watched 24/7 by a camera (which was rather traumatic and distressing- you feel like your in a prison cell with no one to talk to). but really it’s about how they can lessen/cut staff so each CNA/BHT could have 2 clients instead of 1 thus cut overall costs and staffing. I wish there was another facility that would do this realm of re-feeding care and not just be Acute worldwide. Actually have a client centered approach that Acute used to have. And not just about costs, getting as much profit as possible and staffing.
also they are in contract with ERC so they usually push clients to go there after seeking care with them. And if you don’t have an aftercare plan they will very much enforce treatment.
This all said, they are still the leading program for getting you to a medically stable place to go onto Residential treatment and continued care. I just wanted to inform you that no, it’s definitely not the same care as it once was- and sometimes knowing that can better equip one mentally before coming in.
I was there in August. Will they force you involuntarily to go to res? This is a huge question for me that I need to know.
Depends on your bmi honestly and also your treatment history. They force less often now than in previous years
Updated Review, current August 2023
The ACUTE program at Denver Health Hospital is a medical stabilization program. The 30 bed unit is located in the M building, which is separate from the main hospital. To accommodate and support the needs of the patients and balance the limitations of staff, the unit is divided into two groups based on room numbers. Lower numbered rooms have an earlier schedule, and higher numbered rooms have a slightly later schedule (I do not know the schedule for the later group, as this information is not provided if you are not in that group).
Each patient is assigned to a dietitian, psychologist, psychiatrist, and a medical doctor will see patients each day. The doctors rotate for days to a week or more (rare) at a time. Patients are not allowed to switch providers. Each patient is also assigned a social worker involved in transitioning of care and other logistics (ie- notes for work, school, communication with providers at home, etc). In addition, patients will work with a physical therapist, who will assess stability, strength, balance, and other factors at least one business day after admission, and an occupational therapist, who will assess needs related to daily activities (showering, dressing, etc.).
When admitted, all patients are initially required to have a gait belt when getting out of bed, which can feel like a chain. Although the nursing team can decide if the gait belt is not needed (for example, if a patient admits on a Friday and will not be assessed by PT and OT until Monday), this is rare. I strongly recommend admitting earlier in the week if at all possible. All patients are also initially placed on “yellow shower” status (or lower if you are very weak or medically unstable). This means that you have to sit in a shower chair. Patients are only allowed one shower a day in the morning, which is supervised (staff will be watching with the door open). When using the toilet, patients will also be watched, and you are not allowed to flush the toilet. Technically, patients are also not allowed to brush teeth within certain time periods after meals and snacks. For the duration of your stay, patients are told to sit down when putting on bottoms or socks or anything involving the lower half of the body. Staff varies in their enforcement of this rule, although this is definitely a safety concern.
If OT deems a patient stable enough, one can be moved to “green shower” status, which means that you can stand in the shower but would be encouraged to sit down if any dizziness or lightheadedness occurs.
All patients are initially placed on cardiac telemetry (heart monitor). This is typically for a minimum of one week, although the duration may be longer if you expertise any arrhythmias.
After the physical therapy assessment, a patient may be allowed to take two laps after breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a CNA. When a patient moves to the next level (entry level is called Aspen (formerly “A”); next level is Breckenridge, and then Copper- more on this later).
All patients will be with a CNA 24/7 upon admission with glucose readings regularly, depending on initial findings. Vital signs will also be taken very frequently, and labs will be drawn (sometimes multiple times a day) until the treatment team feels that the patient is stable enough to decrease.
When on Aspen (initial level), the patient will have a CNA assigned to be with him/her for each 12 hour shift. A patient may use the bathroom, although it is preferred that this not occur right after a meal for obvious reasons. The bathroom is unlocked due to the constant presence of a staff person. A patient will also have a nurse who will bring medications (including IV therapies, if applicable) for each 12 hour shift. There is also a charge nurse on the floor who is supposed to check in with patients regarding any concerns.
Be wary of some of the charge nurses and nurse managers.
Do not bring any clothing that might be considered inappropriate, or staff will take it away. I recommend loose-fitting clothing. No pajama shorts. This is not allowed, although I think the rules vary depending on percent body weight. No real razors are allowed, so if you want to shave, bring an electric or battery-powered one. Patients can receive mail and packages, although the mail is delivered to the main hospital before being brought to the M building and then up to the unit, where it must be searched. One day Amazon delivery may mean 3 days (or you may get lucky). You can ask the staff about instacart delivery (no food or gum) or shipt with Target.com
On the first day, patients will meet with the medical doctor and dietitian (usually). You have no say in what items will be presented for your meals and snacks but are supposed to eat it regardless (which is terribly unfair). Even on the first day, if a patient does not complete meals or snacks, you will be asked to supplement. I do not know if this is enforced (in terms of penalties for not supplementing on the first day).
When a patient meets with the dietitian, she will complete a nutritional assessment and plan out menus for a day or two, depending on her schedule and your needs. If on a weight restoration plan, there will usually be a meal plan increase every 3-4 days (again, this may vary). Options are very limited if you are a vegetarian. Please make sure to indicate that you are a vegetarian to admissions. Some dietitians will allow patients to write in alternatives, but others are much more strict. There are also three snacks a day, and patients will be provided with a snack list and beverage list.
Snacks are determined based on the meal plan (patients typically pick breakfast, lunch, and dinner first and then go back and fill in with snacks, depending on needs).
When the meal or snack arrives, nothing can be on the table. Patients may watch tv or a show on the laptop, but the laptop must be off the table. No other electronics are allowed. Each patient has 30 minutes for meals and 20 minutes for snacks. If you need to supplement, then that has to be done in a limited period of time (15 minutes). Failure to complete meals, snacks, and/or supplements may result in tube feeding, loss of laps (if applicable), etc.
Patients are only allowed one non-caloric beverage at meals, although you can have the assigned ACUTE water pitcher with you. Unless a patient is on a caffeine taper, which is unusual and very limited, only one caffeinated beverage per day is allowed (coffee or diet coke, and coffee will only be given in the morning). Patients can have one carbonated beverage per day (diet coke or sprite zero). Hot tea is available, as is sugar free lemonade, but again, only one non-caloric beverage per meal and snack. The team is very strict about these rules.
Patients will meet with the dietitian every few days to plan out meals and snacks, see the attending medical doctor every day, the psychiatrist once a week, the physical therapist once or twice a week (depends on scheduling and needs of the patient) and occupational therapist once (maybe more, again depending on needs) a week. Patients will usually not meet the social worker until ready to do discharge planning. The physical therapist and occupational therapist may provide stretches or mini yoga protocols that can be done in the patient’s room (under CNA supervision, unless on level copper).
The treatment team has very strict guidelines about medical stabilization, and the team members do not believe in individual rights or needs.
Once the treatment team feels a patient has made progress (this varies depending on the patient and his/her needs, although compliance is absolutely critical), the team will “promote” the patient to level Breckenridge. Ask questions about how this works, because it can feel overwhelming. On level Breckenridge, patients have one hour per day of free time (no CNA in the room) from 2-3. However, the trash can, linen bin, and yoga mat will be locked in the bathroom. At night, patients will not have a CNA with them for the 7-7 pm shift.
On the initial Aspen level, patients have the option of showering early if he/she chooses, but showering and “morning routine (ie- brushing teeth, hair, dressing) must be completed before breakfast). In Breckenridge, patients must wait to shower when the day shift arrives. The day shift CNA will stay with the patient until he/she leaves at 7. At that time, the CNA will complete a yellow card with preferences for snack and “bedtime routine” choices. Patients may opt for snack at three different times (this will vary according to which group one is in), and the assigned CNA will usually have two other patients with whom he/she will be working. A patient may or may not get the time selected, and times may be off if the CNA or unit in general is experiencing staffing issues (common, especially on weekends) or dealing with multiple crises (also common). Some CNAs will allow a patient to have evening snack, then will do vital signs, and if there is still time remaining (within the 30 minute allotted period), time to do “nighttime routine activities” (again, only one shower a day, but the hospital does have bathing wipes). One has to be very quick. The CNAs are very stressed running around between three patients, and they may make a patient wait until after all snacks have been completed before allowing nighttime clean up. Each patient will still have a nurse who will come in with nighttime medications.
Please note that patients have the right to indicate if he/she does not feel comfortable with a certain gender (ie- patient with a trauma history), and one is allowed to have one CNA that you wish not to be with you (this varies and is not always guaranteed).
Failure to comply with rules and meal plans, etc. can result in a level drop. On Breckenridge, if appropriate, a patient may also be allowed to take a lap after morning and afternoon snack (with a CNA). If a patient is no longer on the heart monitor, the patient may also go on an “outing” on Saturday and another on Sunday. The outing involves taking a wheelchair, and technically, a patient is supposed to wear hospital socks (some CNAs do not enforce this).
Laundry for patients on Aspen and Breckenridge is done in the evenings twice a week, depending on which side of the unit you reside. The staff will provide a pink hospital bag with the room number. You may specify if you do not want items to go in the dryer.
Depending on length of stay and discharge plans and how the treatment team feels a patient is progressing, one can be moved to the third and highest level, Copper. When on this level, a CNA will come in at a very specific time (earlier than Breckenridge) to monitor showering. The cna will leave (sometimes a CNA may have one patient on one side of the unit and another on the other side, which means the CNA is running around trying to adhere to very tight schedules) and then return for breakfast. Patients are alone except for bathroom time, meals, snacks, and provider sessions. Patients are allowed to have one “outing” on weekdays (again, at a very specific time) and two on weekends. Outings are typically outside, but if the temperature is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, you are limited to five minutes. One can also go to the gift shop or chapel.
The bathroom door is always locked, and the trash can and linen bin is also in the bathroom, which means a patient has to call for any needs. Generally, this is not much of an issue, but nights can be brutal. Staffing is a major issue. They have been training a lot of staff, but clearly, the issue has not been remedied.
The treatment team at ACUTE consists of some of the top experts in the field, and if you are in need of stabilization due to medical complications or require more care to go to a higher level of care, then ACUTE is definitely the best place to come. Most of the treatment team members are caring and compassionate, and generally, the CNAs and nurses mean well but are overworked and sometimes lack maturity to handle the stress (this is my opinion).
Also, interactions with other patients are very limited. Patients are mostly in their own rooms, with the exception of laps and maybe one group (not required and not always an option).
This is the sad thing that happens to all of the good treatment centers (similar happened at Monte nido)…they grow, go all corporate, focus on money and the patient care that made the program good falls away and it becomes like every other program 🙁
So now you can only go on outings once on the second level? That’s so sad!
Do they still use camera/video monitoring? How long is average length of stay these days
Yes. When a patient moves up to the next level (Breckenridge), cameras are utilized when a CNA is not present. This is also true at the highest level, although I am not sure what staff does if a patient is meeting with a provider.
There is no such thing as average length of stay at ACUTE. The treatment team has parameters and guidelines, and each patient’s length of treatment is unique. There are so many factors involved, such a medical issues and complications.
So to clarify do level Breckenridge patients gets outings every week day or only weekends? It used to be two outings every weekday and three every weekend day for everyone cleared!!!
NO! Breckenridge patients only get one outing on weekends. Copper patients get two on weekends. Wishful thinking.
Are they still quick to tube?
Do not know. I would assume that if you do not complete or supplement or supplement too much, that a tube will be implemented. Some patients are given a tube to help with the volume of food and supplement- not as a punishment but as a way to help alleviate GI pain.
They offer a tube on day 1 to all patients. It is offered, not ordered. *TW* My DD entered the program very sick and malnourished, spent the first 6 weeks in the DH ICU overseen by Acute for nutrition. She was on TPN, finally accepted the tube, and they were able to wean her off the TPN to the tube, then slowly to full oral feeds. She had a lung issue and was “nothing by mouth” for 2 months. *END TW* Using a feeding tube was essential to her recovery and we were impressed by the very professional and caring way the tube was offered.
From my experience, yes
It sounds like a lot had changed… so everyone moves through the levels versus just staying a level a or b? And never outings for level a? Had the staff changed like providers? What about the food/ options? Therapy dogs? How often do you meet with providers?
everyone starts level A (aspen) and your providers + nursing decide if you’re doing well enough to move up levels (B- breckenridge, C- copper). Aspen patients don’t have outings. I’m not sure about staffing changes since this is my first time here but one of the occupational therapists left in the middle of my stay lol. I can send you pdfs of the menus I got if you’d like? They say the therapy dogs come in every Saturday and Tuesday but it really depends on their owners’ schedules so I wouldn’t rely on that. You meet with your providers basically every day except weekends; though the MD is the only provider that does meet you on weekends.
How long do you stay there? How long does it take to move through the levels if you’re compliant? I know the meal plans get bigger. Is it normal for patients to complete 100%?
I don’t think there’s an average length of stay, I think it depends on your goals/what you want out of treatment. I’ve been here about 5 weeks :’) Moving up levels really depends as well but you can ask your nurse and providers to consider it if you feel like you’re complying enough. The meal plans increase every couple days; if you’re on tube they usually balance oral intake and tube feeding. Because everything is room-based I usually can’t see other patients’ trays but from the few I’ve seen the plates and containers have been empty. Asking for and finishing supplements also count towards 100%
Hi!
I thought I was going to admit to ERC, but I need to go to ACUTE before I actually go anywhere else. Can I email you for the menus as I admit on Monday (2 days)!
I was there for 2 months, I completed 100% never needed supplements or tube! It’s completely normal to eat!
How long do people generally stay on level a? And level b is only an outing on weekends not weekdays? Sure if you could send me menues that would be great. My email is [redacted].
I’m not sure about how long people stay in certain levels as it really depends on your individual treatment but the staff will evaluate if you ask them if you can move up. The level B outings are 30mins and only on weekends with a doctor’s order.
It varies from person to person. No, I will not send menus
Thank you for all this information. Can you send me a copy of the menus. I want to see if they are still the same, I’m considering going. My email is [redacted].
Rachel, can you remove my email after Anon sees it? Thank you!
Of course, SD! So sorry if this post wasn’t approved until just now, or if was approved and then unapproved. I know I came on to approve both yours and another person’s right after you both posted (I remember this because I was proud of my speed haha), but they just showed up under pending again for me. I promise it wasn’t intentional!
No worries Rachel. Your hard work on this site is so greatly appreciated. We all benefit from your dedication to helping and assisting the ED world.
Hi, would it be possible to have a PDF of the menu emailed!? May I send my email in a private message for anonymity as my email contains my full name!?
No.
Even if I had menus to share, I do not feel this would be helpful to you or anyone. Why is this so important? Menus may change; meal plans are very individualized. Staying focused on the food will not help a person move toward recovery.
See comment below. May I ask why you need to know this information? Focus on your recovery.
BC i am admitting there next week and have only been there once before. Just wanted to get an idea, Also it was after seeing multiple others ask for a menu with yes responses
Good for you. I am sorry you are so stuck in your eating disorder Please know I am only trying to help. I hope you receive the care you need and deserve.
Could you send me the menu PDFs?
The description is accurate as of today (August 2023). I do not wish to share about the food, as I feel potential patients get too hung up on that. I am not sure that has changed much. The options are very limited if you are a vegetarian, and it depends on your dietitian as to how many (if any) “write-ins” you can do. The dietitian with whom I am working does not let me write at all. I select, and she enters into the computer, and hopefully, there is not an error. Regardless of what comes on your tray, no changes will be made.
For example, one time a tofu wrap came with turkey. I was not allowed to get a new sandwich… it was take off the turkey or supplement.
As far as providers, this may vary (thought I address this), but here is a general schedule:
Remy, the therapy dog, is typically on the floor on Saturdays and works with PT on Tuesdays. There is another therapy dog, Brady, but I have only seen him once.
You can also request to see the chaplain. There is a chaplain for the unit, but you can also call the Spiritual Care department for a visit.
Hope this helps.
This would make me so nervous to even admit as a vegan. It sounds like they won’t make any accommodations for vegans. It’s such a shame, because when it comes to inpatient and medical stabilisation, vegans are pretty much left out on a limb. It doesn’t even seem to matter whether the patient’s values are long term or ethically motivated and have nothing to do with the eating disorder…it’s just never respected nor taken seriously in hospital.
The dietitians would certainly not encourage veganism. The “vegetarian” menu has fish and items with eggs, but there might be a way around that because they do offer soy milk. You might have to be willing to utilize nuts and peanut butter to augment protein.
Fish isn’t even vegetarian. I’ve been vegan pretty much my whole life. It’s not something I’d be willing to change. The thought of eating meat or eggs makes me want to gag. I honestly would not be able to eat a meal with animal products. You might as well ask me to eat a meal of plastic food (the kind babies play with). For me, that situation would equate to torture. So, I guess this place is a definite no. Thankfully, I don’t need this level of care, but am just trying to do my research, because last time I needed it, I didn’t know where I could go and that was not a good situation. Obviously, I’m hoping to avoid this situation altogether, but would feel a lot better if I had some options should things take a turn for the worst. And it’s a real shame that so many programmes do not accept vegans, because it makes it very hard for us to find care.
I completely agree. I laughed when I saw that fish was listed on the vegetarian menu, and it is a shame that treatment providers do not take this into consideration. When they tried to force me to eat turkey that was erroneously sent on my tray, I was very distraught. I am a lactovegetarian for ethical and personal/moral reasons, and I could not believe the team and staff would be so callous and mean about that issue. I ended up supplementing.
If veganism is important to you, then I would keep exploring options. Unfortunately, I do not know of any places that accept vegans.
I’m really sorry to say this, but I don’t think you’re going to find a treatment center that accommodates veganism ? most dietitians will insist that the lifestyle is too restrictive to maintain ED recovery. ERC WA at the very least will be able to ween you back into animal products slowly (that’s what they did for me), but they won’t let you go the entirety of treatment being vegan. I wish I had more resources to give you!
These aren’t inpatient, but if you are looking for residential or PHP both Alsana and the Emily Program explicitly accommodate vegans! 🙂
Also not inpatient, but Within Health (virtual PHP and IOP) accommodates vegans.
Also, during meals and snacks, you cannot have any electronics, books, or anything on the table. You may watch tv or a show on laptop/ipad, but it has to be off the table. Otherwise, patients are allowed to have electronics all the time (but you cannot take phone calls or texts during meals, snacks, regardless of the importance.
Wow. I am so disappointed. I had been to too many treatment centers over 20+ years. They were all intolerable and unhelpful. When I finally went to ACUTE, it was a relief. I made progress and though what I had to do felt awful, they made it as tolerable as possible. And I felt like if I needed to, I would be able to make myself go back. Everywhere else, I knew I would literally rather [redacted]. After reading this and other reviews, hearing about the changes, I know I would never go back to ACUTE. They take too many patients, have expanded to take adolescents, lack the same level of individualization. It really isn’t the program it was. It isn’t the program that made it so desirable. It’s just another hospital now. What an absolute shame.
I agree that it’s off my list as a possible centre
Expanding to take adolescents was such a blow to the typical population ACUTE serves because adolescents already have so so many options for medical stabilization–dozens of children’s hospitals. Adults in this condition have precious few. ACUTE has truly become a patient mill. I was a patient there this spring March through April when they were toying with changes and all of the changes made are not to benefit patients at all but simply because they cannot retain enough staff.
Agreed. I was there in March when they were starting to make changes and I heard several staff say they were leaving BECAUSE of these changes. When I first went to Acute 4 years ago, I truly felt nurtured and cared for. Now it has become a revolving door where they care more about logistics than healing, just like ERC 🙁
I disagree with this comparison. Many of the staff members care a great deal, and while I do not like the “cookie cutter, my way or the highway approach,” ACUTE does provide the highest level of care for complicated medical issues anywhere. I honestly do not know where a person would find this level of medical stabilization. Is the process pleasant? No. Do some of the doctors treat you like a child even when you are in your 30s, 40s, or older, Yes. Is there room for improvement? Absolutely. Do some of the staff members need to go into another field? Definitely. However, the unit provides life-saving expertise.
Yes, the program lacks individualization. I, too, have been a patient here before and appreciated the care and dedication that the staff provided. That being said, ACUTE does have the most experienced and knowledgable medical staff on severe eating disorders and complications. If you need this level of assistance, I do not know of other options.
Hi,
I’m trying to find a good treatment center. I’m considering here and Laureate in Tulsa, OK.
Do they teach you how to plate meals on your own?
This is not a treatment program but a medical stabilization unit. Most patients are referred to residential programs afterward where they can practice such skills.
Thank you.
I went to ACUTE last year and then transitioned to Laureate if you have any questions.
Where you at Laureate in Tulsa? If so I’d like to talk more about the program to get an idea if McLean in VA or Laureate in Tulsa would be better for me.
Yep in Tulsa. It is the only one. I will say I do not know anything about McLean, but I can answer questions about Laureate.
Can you tell me about your experience with the program and the effect it has had on your recovery?
I have had AN for 7 years now with compulsive exercise. I’ve been trying to get better on my own with help from dietitians and counselor s experienced with Ed. I think what I need is a structured approach to help me learn the skills to nourish myself, have a healthy relationship with exercise, and my body. Also to learn coping strategies to combat the Ed thoughts.
Anything you can tell me to help make a decision?
Ive started the admissions process for both places.
It is a great program that teaches you how to plate your own meals and serve yourself once you hit a certain level. At this level they also typically allow you to go on outings over the weekends with other clients and eat at restaurants on your own. I would recommend this program, the only drawback is I think one of the physicians is very difficult to work with. As long as you can overlook this, I think it would be a good experience. If you look at the Laurette page there is a great review to learn more. If you have specific questions feel free to send your email or phone number and I can contact you.
My email is [redacted]. I’d like to talk more about the program to see if it would be right for me.
The wait list here vs McLean VA is a factor but I don’t want to settle for less. However, the stress of doing this solo is choking me.
Didn’t know there was a McLean in VA. I can answer questions about McLean in MA on the page for McLean if you ask there.
I believe this is referring to the Center for Discovery in the town of McLean, VA.
How do you get them do give you apples as an option? I see people have apples on their trays, and I’ve never gotten one.
No idea. How long ago with this? Many patients have GI issue, so I am assuming apples are not common. There are patients who are non-eating disordered.
When I was there only berries and bananas were offered as a fruit option. No vegetables at all. They really try to limit fiber, for gastro issues.
They have apple and applesauce, just ask.Depending on who your dietician is. Some are more lenient on menu add ons. Mine was very easy going with it. The only thing you could veggies on was the stir fry, egg omelets, burritos and burritos bowls. And on sandwiches. They try to limit the fiber due to GI issues, fiber.
Hey! It’s 317 🙂 you can do apple sauce or apples, just ask… although depends on the dietician. Mine would let me…
Hi 317! I’m here now too! You are right. The stir fry does have vegetables, and I’ve also had the egg omelette with vegetables.I haven’t tried the burrito bowls or burritos. My dietitian is also very lenient with allowing me to get items that aren’t necessarily on the menus, as long as I’m able to eat it. However, I’ve been here before and other dietitians want you to stick more to what is on your specific menu for the meal plan that you’re on. I’ve been able to repeat meals often, but other dietitians want you to have more variety. If you had an apple, would that be for a snack? What would come with it, do you know? Is it an A/b/c/d/e snack. Also, do you have any recommendations for the best meals- taste wise? At the end of the day, no matter what you order, the dietitians make sure that it meets your needs. They have everything calculated and tailored to you.
A lot of the time the RDs will want you to do apple with peanut/sunbutter (like in place of the banana on the snack list) if you like that. In terms of meals, I really enjoyed the stir fry, breakfast items, tacos/burritos, and PB & banana sandwiches. RDs will be more flexible around adding fruit or veg as long as you are trying other challenge items and completing your meal plan. It also really depends on which RD you have.
You can add the apple onto a meal in place of juice and as a snack with PB. I repeated meals quite often and she had no issues. I really liked the egg omelets with veggies, burrito bowl pretty much a taco but with tortilla chips instead of the tortillas. It was basically like a taco salad, but minus the lettuce.. you can get lettuce for it, but it is very little lol. The teriyaki stirfrys, I always did sandwiches and wraps alot for lunch. Also, to help with volume with the meals, I’d mix pb with vanilla greek.. very yummy! Also for snacks I’d mix items from different letters to help volume wise. I’d get vanilla wafers, pudding, and banana and mix it together like a banana puddong dessert. Also mixed greek, pb, and graham crackers together like a cheesecake pie! Rice Krispies treat with pb on top of it. Ice cream cup with a reeces broken into it. My favorite breakfast was English muffins, cream cheese , cinnamon and pb with greek. I had it pretty much everyday lol! There are options for meals and snacks that are not on the lists, just ask what else is available such as mashed potatoes, muffins. Use your imagination to mix and match to help with volume and to avoid having so much on your plate! I experimented with alot and found things I loved !!
Does aspen level get outings?
NO! You may have laps. Maybe.
ACUTE has revised their outings. The rationale stems from staffing and safety concerns. So no.
Hi! Do you know if all this applies to non ED/ those there for starvation / medical stability from malnutrition and other medical issues?
I have heard that for non-ed issues, if you are of normal body weight, the team will make exceptions.
When were you there? April – May 2021 and February – April 2022
What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)? Inpatient
If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible? Yes
How many patients are there on average? It is a 30-bed unit but treatment is room based with only a few small groups at times, so you don’t really interact with other patients.
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined? Both males and females, but it is separate.
If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people? Yes, they are very supportive of transgender and nonbinary people.
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc? Medical doctor: every day; Psychiatrist: three to five times per week depending on the situation; psychologist: three to four times per week
What is the staff-to-patient ratio? One Behavioral Health Tech (BHT)/Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) per patient and one nurse per patient.
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, etc.)? It really depends on your individual psychologist. Many DBT, CBT, and ACT but some use other therapies like Hypno-therapy.
Describe the average day:
What were meals like? I wasn’t on meals during my stays but typically it consists of three meals and three snacks. Eaten in your room with your BHT or CNA observing. You pick out your meals and snacks for the next day with your dietitian throughout the week.
What sorts of food were available or served? Unsure about meals, but snacks included things like granola bars, fruit, goldfish, pretzels, yogurt, nuts, hummus, milk and cereal, smoothies, trail mix, etc.
Did they supplement? How did that system work? They use Ensure as a supplement depending on how much of your meal you complete/don’t complete.
What is the policy of not complying with meals? You will most likely get an NG tube.
Are you able to eat vegetarian? Yes
What privileges are allowed? You are allowed to go outside, the gift shop, or the tunnel to paint on the walls, two to three times per day, depending on your schedule and what day of the week it is. If you are on a CERT, then you are allowed to go upstairs to the enclosed balcony.
Does it work on a level system? Yes and no. There are a few different levels that allow you to have more freedom in terms of not having a CNA or BHT in the room with you at all times, but I have only seen that happen a couple of times.
How do you earn privileges? No
What sort of groups do they have? There are very few groups, as treatment is room based and very individualized. There are psychology groups and OT (occupational therapy) groups. Psychology group is mostly therapy-based education groups and OT (occupational therapy) groups include things like painting, crocheting, music, etc.
What was your favorite group? I really enjoyed OT group and learning new activities or exploring activities I hadn’t been able to do in a while.
What did you like the most? I like the staff the most. Everyone was very understanding and helpful. They treated me like a person and not a patient. They were willing to go above and beyond to figure out what they could do to help when everything seemed to have failed. I also really enjoyed Remy the therapy dog that comes to the unit a couple of times a week. The chaplain is amazing, even if you are not a religious person, she is one of the kindest and most down-to-earth people you will ever meet and has a great understanding of eating disorders.
What did you like the least? They do CERT (a longer-term mental health hold). While it can be hard at first, looking back I realized it saved my life both times.
Would you recommend this program? Yes, if you are needing medical stabilization, I would recommend ACUTE.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed? It all depends on where you are at from a physical standpoint. They will meet you where you are and during your stay, you will work with physical therapy (PT) to build your strength. Most of the time patients are allowed to walk laps around the unit six times per day. There are also individualized exercise and yoga plans for patients.
What did people do on weekends? Normally just watch tv or movies, do crafts, go on outings to the gift shop, tunnel, or just outside to get some fresh air.
Do you get to know your weight? No
How fast is the weight gain process? It all depends on your body, they are less about weight restoration and more about medical stabilization, as it is a shorter-term facility.
What was the average length of stay? The average length of stay I saw while I was there was anywhere from five days to three weeks. It all depends on your individual medical needs.
What was the average age range? 15 to over 70
How do visits/phone calls work? You are allowed to have your phone 24/7 if you are an adult (not sure about the adolescent technology protocol, but I know it is different). Visiting is allowed but when I was there was modified due to COVID.
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)? You are allowed to have your electronics 24/7 unless you are in a group or eating a meal or snack.
For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go out on passes? You are allowed to go on “outings” outside, to the tunnel to paint, and to the gift shop.
For PHP/IOP: What support do they provide outside of programming hours? You are always with a CNA or BHT unless you are on a different level
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team? Your social worker while you are there will work with you from day one to develop and work on a discharge plan. They do send a lot of patients to ERC as they work with them but most of the time you will go to an inpatient or residential facility after leaving ACUTE.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country? Yes, most people there are from out of state. When I have been there, there have many a few people who have come from out of the country and they were able to accommodate them as well as their families.
If applicable: How is the program responding to COVID? (Less patients, virtual programming, no visitors, masks, social distancing, etc) They are having fewer and smaller-sized groups, visiting was modified, and masks were required when outside of your room.
can you explain more about CERT?
Review-
When were you there?- May-June 2022
What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?- Only have inpatient
If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible?- Yes
How many patients are there on average?- 30 bed unit, when I was there, it was staffed for 25
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined?- Males and females are treated. You are kept separated from all patients except 2 groups a week and walking in hallways
If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people? I honestly cannot say for certain but I venture to guess yes.
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc? Medical Doctor (all are awesome and so incredibly knowledgeable) 7days a week, dietician 5 days a week, psychologist 4/week, psychiatrist 2-3 times/week, OT and PT 2-3/ week or more if needed.
What is the staff-to-patient ratio? You have a CNA or BHA assigned to just you at least 12 hours everyday. Once you move to level B your CNA may have 2-3 clients at night.
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, etc.)? Not a lot of therapy, majority of the focus is on Medical. My psychologist did DBT, CBT and ACT.
Describe the average day:
What were meals like?- Meals were generally good. You completely pick your own foods from a menu. Some of the RDs let you use the foods they had to create your own meal too.
What sorts of food were available or served?- Sandwiches, wraps, all sorts of breakfast foods available all day long, stir fry, quesadillas, pasta and many others
Did they supplement? How did that system work?- They supplement if you do not finish your meals.
What is the policy of not complying with meals?- You must supplement.
Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegetarian yes, vegan- no
What privileges are allowed?- Cell phone and computer use all day when not with providers.
Does it work on a level system? Kind of, you have level A that is with a CNA 24/7, Level B you are allowed to be on your own when not eating or doing an activity.
How do you earn privileges? Time and compliance
What sort of groups do they have? 2 groups, one psychology group and one OT group
What was your favorite group? TBH- I went to groups solely to see other people.
What did you like the most? I really liked how knowledgeable everyone, that I was allowed to use my cell phone, and that they allowed yoga (minimal but some)
What did you like the least?- Room based and not seeing other clients
Would you recommend this program?- YES absolutely
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?- You work with an OT and PT. They will let you stretch, yoga for 15 min/day, and walk 3 laps around the unit/day.
What did people do on weekends? Weekends are long. You can have visitors and go outside for 30 min 3x a day.
Do you get to know your weight?- No
How fast is the weight gain process?- If you want to know, look at their research papers, it tells you everything.
What was the average length of stay?- Varies for everyone. You must reach medical stability and a % of IBW
What was the average age range? I think it is 15 years and up. When I was there, it was a very wide range divided rather equally.
How do visits/phone calls work?- Unlimited phone calls, There are visiting hours in the evening and on weekends.
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)? Anytime you are not with a provider.
For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go out on passes?- NO
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team?- they help you find a step down solution
Does anyone have a pic or know what starting out menu and snacks are for ACUTE
Snack List A Options:
1. Banana
2.
Milk or Juice (8 OZ)
3. Goldfish
4. String Cheese and Fruit
5.
Nutrigrain bar
6.
Vanilla Wafers
7.
Cottage Cheese
8. ½ serving of nuts (mixed or almonds)
Snack List B Options:
1. Chocolate milk
2. Rice Krispie Treat
3. Yogurt (Greek or Original)
4.
1 pkg Graham Crackers and Peanut or Sun Butter
5. Popcorn (white cheddar)
• Baked lays (BBQ or Original)
7. ½ serving cashews
Snack List C Options:
1. Cold Cereal + 8 oz. of 2% milk.
2. Nature Valley Bar
3. Sun Chips (Harvest Cheddar or Original)
4 Pretzels
5. Banana + Peanut or Sun Butter or Nutella
6.
Quaker instant maple and brown sugar oatmeal
7. Fig Newtons
8. Kind bar (caramel almond or cranberry almond)
9. Lara Bar (apple pie)
A + A List snack could substitute for a C list option
Snack List D Options:
1. 2 Cold Cereals + 8 oz. of 2% milk.
2. Nuts (Almonds or Mixed Nuts) + Fresh Fruit
3. Yogurt (Greek or Yoplait) + ½ serving of Cashews
4. Pretzels + Peanut or Sun Butter or Cream Cheese
5. Magic Cup (Chocolate, Vanilla, or Mixed Berry)
6. Cliff Bar (chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter) + 4oz of 2% milk.
7. Tortilla Chips+ Guacamole
8. Bobo Bar (cOcOnut)
9. Pita bread and hummus
A + C List snack could substitute for a D list option
Snack List E Options:
1) Cashews and a banana
2) Sabra hummus and pretzels
3) Smoothie (Raspberry, Green, Peach, Strawberry Peanut Butter, or Strawberry Nutella)
4) Yogurt (Greek or original) with ¾ c granola
5) 2 pkts Peanut or Sun butter or 2 tbsp nutella, 2 pkgs graham crackers, 4 oz milk or juice
6) Cookies × 2 with 8 oz milk
7) Trail Mix
8) Yogurt covered pretzels or yogurt covered raisins
2 C list snacks could substitute for a E list option
These are the snack options (it really just depends on your meal plan and what your dietitian feels is appropriate to start out with). I hope this helps.
Thank you for sharing! Do you know if they allow you to be gluten and dairy free if you are really intolerant?
With my dietician they allowed me to pick exactly the types of foods I wanted to eat and they chose the portions to meet my meal plAn. So if you have *** as your RD, then you could definitely choose all dairy and gluten free meals/snacks
I recently spent five weeks at Denver Acute, and I am truly bowled over by the unflagging dedication, kindness, and professionalism of the entire team – from the cleaning staff to the medical directors and everyone in between. Every day I was there, I saw this staff going above and beyond to create a safe and loving environment for their patients, and doing so with tremendous grace, humor, and generosity of spirit. I benefitted greatly from all of the interventions offered by this truly gifted team: medical care, psychotherapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, medication management, nutrition counseling, discharge planning, nursing, and 24-hour support from the hardworking staff of certified nursing assistants (CNAs). Not only did this program save my life, but, at every step, I felt invited and encouraged to see myself as part of the team fighting for my survival. I left feeling empowered to take responsibility for my recovery and better prepared than ever to take on the challenges and responsibilities of residential treatment
I know a lot of people seek out reviews before deciding how to plan their treatment, and although I’ve never contributed to a site like this before, my life-changing experience at Acute compelled to add my enthusiastic and heartfelt praise to mix of voices represented here. I have struggled with an eating disorder for 25 years and have never felt so grateful for the treatment I’ve received as I do now. If you are at a point where this level of care is necessary, please know that this program will provide not just unmatched medical and nutritional rehabilitation, but nourishment for your soul as well.
I was at Denver ACUTE for 5 weeks. It’s their way or their way, honestly. I did life flight there very late evening and was transferred from the plane to ambulance to acute. I was greeted by a lot of people and the dr immediately met with me. They did vitals, height, weight, labs, general history of the ed, and discussed behaviors. When labs came in I was started on iv potassium, magnesium, sodium etc. I was also on oxygen. They gave me a warmer to put under the covers that blew warm air bc I was so cold. The next day I met the dietician, physical and occupational therapists, psychologist, psychiatrist, and md. I had a 24/7 cna. Meals were do your best the first day. They asked if I would accept a tube and felt it would be helpful. I did bc I was scared of being held against will. We did straight tube feeds. Then slowly added in snacks. When I didn’t complete 100% of snacks we went two days of straight tube feeds. After I adjusted to oral snacks we added one meal a couple days at a time. I came off the tube at the end of week 4 in order to prepare for residential. You are allowed to take supplement if you don’t finish or want your meal without penality. You have 45 mins for a meal & 30 mins for a snack. They allow vegetarians. I was never certified like people say happens, but I didn’t fight them. I had a few moments. I was put on suicide watch and everything taken from my room bc I said I wanted to die when upset. I came off of it the next day. They did restrain me to the bed with two restrains to put the tube and bridle on bc I couldn’t be still. They took it as fighting against them. Which I wasn’t. I was left restrained for about an hour till X-ray came. I never manipulated the tube. There’s a large range of food choices. They’re super open. They only serve zero calorie drinks. You can have one caffeinated beverage a day. They will put it in a separate cup though. What I didn’t eat was done in liquid tube feeds. The staff are very nice but firm. The cnas will tell on you for everything. When strong enough you’ll be allowed to walk 2 laps around the nurses stations 3 times a day. I had to wear a safety belt that the cna held for quite some time as a fall risk. I had to take bed baths for about a week the progressed to sitting shower baths. Then a week later could stand to shower. Your weighed every morning after using the bathroom and wear only a paper gown. Vitals are done. I had blood sugar checked every 4 hrs but eventually decreased then to none. There is an activity closet with things to occupy your time with. You will meet with providers every day. They are heavy on the meds. They push anti-anxiety and depression meds heavily. Overall, I felt cared for and in good hands. I don’t regret it at all. Once cleared you’ll be allowed wheelchair ride outside 2x a day. You will have physical and occupational therapy most likely. Their the ones who say if you’re a fall risk or not. I came in with congestive heart failure and had to wear a heart monitor most of my stay. The staff were on top of everything. I felt very safe and cared for there.
hi! can you build your own sandwhich with hummus? what types of cookies, granola bars, ice cream etc… is there (one hospital had haagen daz, bobos bars, larabars or is it the typical brands like oreos and nature valley etc)? is there sunbutter or almond butter or nutella? can you have breakfast at dinner? do they have annie’s bunnies?
is there a snack list?
Yes you can make a sandwich with hummus and whatever toppings. Not sure about specific brands because they mostly take everything out of packaging but looks like they have some. Yes you can have breakfast at dinner but they will start to challenge you on that depending on who your dietitian is. Snack list is options A though E depending on your meal plan. Here it is copied from my paper I just found:
A- banana, milk or juice, goldfish, string cheese and fruit, nutrigrain bar, vanilla wafers, cottage cheese, nuts
B- chocolate milk, rice krispie treat, yogurt, graham crackers with pb or sunbutter, popcorn, baked Lays, cashews
C- cereal and milk, Nature Valley bar, Sunchips, pretzels, banana with pb or sunbutter, oatmeal, Fig Newtons, Kind bar, Larabar (OR two A snacks equal a C snack)
D- 2 cereals and milk, nuts and fruit, yogurt and cashews, pretzels with pb sunbutter or cream cheese, Magic Cup, Clif bar and milk, tortilla chips and guacamole, Bobo bar, pita bread and hummus (OR A plus C snack equals D snack)
E-cashews and banana, Sabra hummus and pretzels, smoothie, yogurt and granola, 2 pkts pb or sunbutter with graham crackers and mill/juice, 2 cookies and milk, trail mix, yogurt covered pretzels or raisins (OR two C snacks equals an E snack)
Hope that helps!
When were you there: Feb-Mar 2021
How many patients on average: Max is 30 and it was usually always full.
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined: Yes, men and women. Treatment is room-based so no interaction with other patients.
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc?: You see a medical doctor every day, a dietitian almost every day to plan the next day’s menu, and 2-3 times per week you see a psychiatrist, psychologist (therapy), occupational therapist, and physical therapist.
What is the staff ratio to patients?: 1:1 because you ALWAYS have a CNA or BHT with you
What sort of therapies are used? (DBT, CBT, EMDR) etc?: It’s only individual therapy and I found it very lacking but that’s to be expected when stays are meant to be short-term. They won’t dive much into your history.
Describe the average day: Wake up at 6:30 for vitals (possibly 5:30 if you had labs), pee and change in a gown for weight, shower (if allowed- you may only have bed baths or sitting showers), and hygiene.
8:00 Breakfast
10:15 snack
12:30 Lunch
3:00 Snack
5:15 dinner
8:30 snack(Meal and snack times may vary by 30 or so minutes because the unit is split into different schedules.)Between meals and snacks, your treatment team will sign up for times to come meet with you. Your CNA will write them down on your whiteboard. If you get cleared, you will be allowed walks around the unit and even outings to go outside. Otherwise, there’s a TV in each room that you can connect to your Netflix account. I also spent a lot of time sleeping lol, reading, working on art supplies, and mainly just used my electronics. There’s no real bedtime but I think they encouraged it around 10.
What were meals like?: Meals seemed pretty typical for hospital food although my dietitian allowed me to do write-ins for every meal as long as I met my nutrition goals so I ate mostly snack foods at meals. I’ve heard not all the dietitians allow this though. Meals are 45mins and snacks are 30mins. I found this to be way more time than I needed but luckily you can just get up from the table once you’ve completed 100% (unlike other places where you sit the whole time). You could get your tray up to 15mins early but you did not have to start eating until the scheduled time but I always just started when then the tray came to keep the food cold/hot because they won’t reheat it for you. They are also super strict about not changing anything once it’s on the menu so no substitutions will be made at that time (even like asking for a pepper packet). If they run out of a certain item, they will replace it and you will still have to complete it to be considered compliant even though you didn’t order it which was very frustrating for me when there was a snowstorm and multiple things were out of stock and I didn’t like the replacement.
What sorts of food were available or served?: Cereal, granola, oatmeal, toast, biscuits, bagel, pancakes, breakfast sandwich, muffins, eggs, sausage, bacon, yogurt, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, English muffins, peanut butter, sun butter, Nutella, all fruits (minus apples and oranges because they discourage you from choosing high fiber foods), lots of sandwich/wrap options (turkey, pb&j, grilled chicken, BLT, tuna or chicken salad, grilled cheese, hummus/turkey, ham and swiss), chicken stir fry with rice, teriyaki salmon, chicken, cheeseburger, omelets, pot roast, mac and cheese, corn muffins, chicken satay, pizza, flatbread, pretzels, chips, chicken burrito, hummus/cheese/veg wrap, turkey/bacon/guac wrap, ice cream, pudding, Snickers ice cream bars, Magic Cups, cookies, milk and soy milk, various fruit juices, and more. ***DO NOT expect to get vegetables while you’re here. It took me 3 weeks for my dietitian to allow me to eat a vegetable lol.
Snacks work off levels A-E with E being the largest. Some A snacks would be things like fruit with cheese stick, granola bar, cottage cheese, goldfish. Some E snacks would be like smoothies, trail mix, 2 cookies and 8oz milk, 2pkts Nutella with 2pkgs graham crackers with 4oz milk. You could also mix and match to equal a bigger snack (like you could choose 2 A snacks to equal a C or choose 2 C’s to equal an E).
You are allowed 1 caffeinated drink per day (either coffee, diet coke (some off-brand kind), or tea). Other drink options were decaf coffee, diet sprite, diet fruit punch, diet lemonade, and herbal teas. During the day, you can have up to four of the 32oz hospital water jugs they give you. Overnight (like 9 pm-6 am), you’re allowed up to 16oz. All of this of course can change if you get placed on a fluid protocol or restrictions.
They have strict rules on condiments (no salt) but allowed 4 per meal and 2 per snack: pepper, mustard, ketchup, jellies, Splenda, salsa, hot sauce, etc. I think there was a limit on how many could be artificial sweeteners or hot sauces though. They also allow up to 10 lemon drop hard candies per day (helps with gland swelling) and 6 pieces of gum per day.
Did they supplement? How did that system work?: Supplement options were Ensure Enlive and Ensure Clear. The amount was based on the missed calories but it did not ever seem accurate to me. The dietitian would also work with you to add Benecal to your meals/snacks if it helped you complete and avoid supplementing.
What is the policy of not complying with meals?: The team would then discuss tube feeding, which they are quick to resort to.
What privileges are allowed?: Once you are medically cleared, walks around the unit, outings in the wheelchair to go outside, physical therapy exercises to do in your room like stretching and yoga.
Does it work on a level system?: Yes, level A means the CNA is with you all the time and level B means they stay only for meals/snacks. I think it’s rare to be moved from level A to level B because you’re normally not there for long enough.
How do you earn privileges? Being compliant with what your treatment team recommends and completing 100%.
What sort of groups do they have?: No groups of any kind here.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?: Once medically cleared, you can do 2 laps around the unit 3 times per day and OT and PT will give you stretching or yoga exercises you can do once per day.
What did people do on weekends?: Nothing different except less clinical staff so no meetings other than on-call doctor
Do you get to know your weight?: No
How fast is the weight gain process? Faster than most. I’d say 3-4lbs per week
What was the average length of stay?: They say 14-21 days is average but it seemed everyone there was there for much much longer
What was the average age range? You don’t see much of the other patients but definitely older than the typical residential center patient. I think most people coming to Acute have been sick for a very long time
How do visits/phone calls work? You can have your own cell phone, computer, iPad, etc. Visits had just begun again while I was there due to COVID and they were increasing the hours back to 4 pm-8 pm on weekdays and 12 pm-8 pm on weekends (all except during meal/snack times or meetings with clinicians).
Are you able to go out on passes? No
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an OP treatment team?: Your social worker helps you set up a discharge plan of where to go next. They will definitely try pushing one of their partner facilities (like ERC). They don’t discharge people to OP.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country? They picked me up from the airport.
What did you like the most?: Well, the beginning was great. During my first week, I was just truly impressed with my team and how competent they were at treating Eds. I felt truly cared for and it was great having the individualized care. They were proactive to my needs before they even became problems. I also liked that everything was clean and your room was cleaned daily with fresh sheets. The therapy dog had just started visiting again while I was there and that was always a lovely treat.
What did you like the least?: -Being with a CNA or BHT ALLLLLL the time sucks. Some were better than others at giving you privacy in the bathroom but I felt like some just stared at me.-When you first admit, you have to wait to be cleared medically to walk so you use a gait belt with the CNA holding on to you. If you experience literally ANY dizziness, they’ll put you back on the gait belt and take away stretching/yoga.- I did not like my psychiatrist and she wasn’t willing to get me started on any psych meds for my severe depression because I was “too malnourished” for them to be effective. While I understand that, I felt like meeting with her was pointless if she wasn’t offering help-THEY WILL INVOLUNTARILY CERTIFY YOU if you ask to leave and they don’t think you’re ready. I commented to my dietitian that I was burnt out on treatment (this was my 14th try) and wanted to go home and my psychiatrist pursued a 90-day mental health hold that kept me in Colorado. It was only a venting comment out of frustration! They also had forced ng tube feeding and meds as part of the court order, which they restrained me and placed the tube, gave meds, and left me like that for 6 hours. When I was ready to leave, I had already been accepted to a residential center closer to home and was still planning on going there. But they forced me to ERC where I’ve had horrible experiences. Just PLEASE BEWARE that they can and very quickly will place you on a hold and FORCE you to ERC.
Would you recommend this program?: Honestly, it’s hard for me to say yes because of the involuntary hold. They are great for medical stabilization but expect rather aggressive treatment: meal plan increases every 2 days, 24/7 sitter with you, gain 3-4lbs per week, etc. Go into it assuming you will be kept against your will unless you’re 100% compliant with food, do everything your team says without hesitation, have a plan to go specifically to ERC, and don’t make a single comment about wanting to go home.
I may have gone to ACUTE for a badge of honor. I was genuinely hopeful they would help me, but I only left with battle wounds and scars.
Acute was clean, well run, staff were respectful and helpful. Doctors, PT, OT, and RD come to your room. Treatment is room based. Every patient is on their own with their own CNA with them with them at all times. The processionals were good, although I wish I had more GI testing because I was never able to get off the feeding tube. It took some getting used to being watched while peeing and showering, but for the most part I was tired and spend most of my time napping or resting in bed between appointments. I got to pet three different therapy dogs, and there was an art closet, so it wasn’t terribly boring. If you don’t finish food you get laps around the building taken away, then outing privileges, and then they can’t really taken anything away, but that was so frustrating for me since my vomiting is Gastroparesis and unintentional. Regardless I was treated with the utmost respect the whole time I was there. I was not certed, and I know patients who were certed can have very different experiences than what I experienced. Every one was so kind at Acute. I wish there could be an Acute for less severe cases, because residential has never worked for me, especially not at ERC Denver.
When were you there? How are they handling the COVID issue? I got an infection while I was there that was spread from other patients. I want to be sure they are taking precautions…
I wouldn’t base your decisions about going there on something like that. What happened to you is something that can and does happen at all hospitals. If it was a problem endemic of the hospital, it would have been closed long ago.
Can you please tell me honestly what goes on there? We moved here from Boston a few days ago hoping to get my son in. He is an adult and I am beyond scared reading the Facebook reviews. Please let me know honestly anything, especially about visitors.
Thank you so much
Honestly they’re the only people I trust and I really felt heard here and received great care. It goes awry when they cert an adult though. As an adult, it feels as though they’re taking your rights and freedoms away. I know if I would’ve been certed I’d be livid and it’d only push me further away from recovery.
Do they now accommodate vegans? I’m not sure if this is true but did Colorado pass a law that makes them required to accommodate all dietary restrictions?
Yes, I am here currently and my dietitian let me know they have special menu items to accommodate a vegan diet.
that’s awesome! thank you for letting me know. i may have to go here soon.
Hello! ACUTE is recommending ERC Denver and I’m terrified that they are going to cert me… haven’t done anything bad this time, they just are worried about me leaving early from another treatment center. How likely is it that they will cert me? Anyone been in this situation before?
Acute “recommended” Erc Denver for me on my second week there. After being completely compliant my entire stay, on discharge day, they certed me to force me to go to ERC
It’s more likely you will be certed than not. Be wary of the internal patient advocates. They are not neutral and will disclose everything to the team. I’m sorry they lured you there and have you in fear. I would comply w/ the recommendation and then direct your cab to the airport.
are there any “official” sources and reports of abuse and mistreatment by ACUTE? i am constantly having my experiences belittled and dismissed, so i bring up these reviews as they align with my experiences but i am told that reviews are biased and can’t be trusted. i just want to be able to show the people who have control over me that this place is truly horrible for many people.
any other resources on punitive/carceral treatment would be appreciated as well.
ACUTE will sadly just continue to gaslight you and use it against you if you attempt to call them on it. Nothing we do to try to stop them is ever seen as legitimate.
I would encourage you to document your experience in detail on Google reviews and anywhere directly affiliated with acute where they will see it though. Harder for them to ignore than here.
I agree with this 100%. What they do is not right in many cases and gets dismissed
With the current law (SB24-117) going into effect on January 1st, 2026, I was informed that they will have a solidified/confirmed list of available food options that are vegan-friendly by the 2nd.
Fabulous! I love this!!!!
*tw: tubes*
Does anyone have any experience (ideally semi-recently) of being at ACUTE with a g/j (or any surgical) tube?
Been struggling for awhile and have exhausted most local options as well as non-local. I found out today my PCP has been in contact with them and they are willing to accept me. I’ve previously been but that was in 2020, and I only had an NJ. Very much terrified and hoping Sanford can be an option. But just in case, I’d love to hear any experiences.
Hi, Jae. I noticed no one has responded to this one yet. Are you going through with ACUTE? I did not come with a feeding tube but came for GI issues. You can see my review under “KT” I think. The doctor I had constantly belittled me and said a lot of passive aggressive things about how I was faking issues for attention and did not need a feeding tube or any intervention because I had a personality disorder. I was never assessed for a personality disorder, nor any other mental health condition. It was absolutely devastating to me and I would hate for someone to be at risk of similar treatment. If you go through with it, which of course there are many good and necessary reasons to still go to ACUTE, please be sure to request not to have Dr. P and that may be of some help. I am also happy to provide my email and then have Rachel just delete it later if you would like any more encouragement.
This doctor should not be allowed around vulnerable patients with very real issues be it medical or psychological. I had a similar experience with Dr. P and carry a lot of pain and trauma from it.
If you have any sort of medical devices even for non ed reasons ACUTE will most likely remove them even if it puts you at risk. They removed my g tube I’ve had for years
If it’s the same Dr. P that’s been there for awhile then I’ve definitely had some not so pleasant experiences with her. I’m very sorry you had such a rough go because of her. If I end up there, I’m definitely going to request not to have her and instead request one that I had a good experience with GI wise.
Im doing everything I can to avoid ACUTE but unfortunately it’s not off the table yet. I’m trialing an at home stabilization thingy and am doing an intake with Sanford later this week.
You are not allowed to request not to have any of the MDs. That will not be honored.
Welp, that’s good to know. More reason to try to stay well enough to not need ACUTE.
Do you know if you are allowed to request certain MDs?
I don’t think so. You get whoever is on service at the time.
Is acute somewhere to travel to from outside the states? I need full support for personal needs thanks to cerebral palsy
Yes, acute accepts international patients
Yep but is it worth it? Is this a program to help you get better or just keep you alive. I don’t qualify for specific ed treatment in my country (as anorexic + anything else including depression gets you kicked to general acute psychiatric bed tubed or not) and allot of the programs in the states can’t handle the personal care help I need
ACUTE is for medical stabilization. If you have the financial means for a full course of treatment after ACUTE (stepping down to PHP or higher [ACUTE wants most people to go to regular inpatient or residential if possible] level of care then progressing thru the levels) either in the US or your country it absolutely could be a first step. However I don’t think going to ACUTE and then going home with no ED-specific support after is going to let you sufficiently work on the mental side of your ED. However, if you are being recommended to ACUTE you are at risk of death if you don’t get medical stabilization and you can’t work on the mental side of your ED if you are dead. Go, or look into other options for medical stabilization, and then figure it out.
I don’t know, as I have never been to Acute myself, but I’ve heard that Acute does not believe in doing harm reduction approach, and that they generally pursue full recovery (not to imply that harm reduction approaches are incompatible with full recovery because they definitely can be compatible with full recovery, but I’m having difficulty phrasing this in a way that doesn’t make it sound like that’s what I’m implying, but you know what I mean). I could be wrong, because I’ve never been to Acute personally, so maybe someone else on EDTR who has been there will have a more clear answer, but from what I’ve heard Acute generally wants their patients to pursue a full recovery and that’s why they normally require most of their patients to step down to inpatient or residential, and only rarely allow people to step down to outpatient, because they want everyone to pursue a full recovery (and I think they believe full recovery is going to be more likely if people step down to IP or residential). Acute is a medical stabilization program, but I think they do more than just keep you alive. Maybe someone who has been there themselves can answer your question better, but from what I’ve heard, they really want everyone to pursue a full recovery.
I know you’ve been trying to find ED treatment for a while, and have had no luck due to most ED programs not being able to help with ADL’s, so I think if Acute is able to provide you with the assistance you need with your ADL’s and they’re willing to admit you, I think you should go for it! I too have been trying to find treatment for a while, and have had no luck due to also needing assistance with my ADL’s due to a physical disability I have. (I can’t go to Acute because I’m on Medicaid and also my ED is not severe enough to meet Acute’s admissions criteria) There aren’t really any other programs I’m aware of that assist with ADL’s, so if Acute is your only treatment option, and you haven’t found anywhere else that can help you, I think you should go! Even if all they do is keep you alive, that’s still definitely better than not getting any treatment at all (especially if your ED is to the point where it’s life threatening- going to a program that keeps you alive is definitely better than dying from the ED)
And even if all they do is keep you alive, if you want to pursue full recovery- to some extent, treatment is what you make of it- even if you get to Acute, and all they’re doing is keeping you alive, I think if you want more than that, you can make the program more than that for yourself! You can bring ED workbooks with you to do in your down time, or you can journal about the underlying reasons for your ED/journal processing things to do with your ED on your own in your down time, so even if all they’re willing to do for you is keep you alive, you can still on your own do things that will help you get better!
I’ve been to ED programs before that I felt weren’t all that helpful from a therapeutic stand point that were mostly focused on making sure I ate but wouldn’t work on the underlying reasons for the ED, and I brought “The Self Esteem Workbook” by Glenn R. Schiraldi (Rachel, I know names aren’t allowed, but I’m hoping this is ok since it’s the author of the book, and I think the book will be harder to find online if you don’t know the author’s name because there might be multiple workbooks with the same title) and I just did the workbook during my down time at the treatment center, so I was able to make my stay there more therapeutic. And if that particular workbook isn’t applicable to you (not everyone with an ED struggles with their self esteem), I’m sure you could find a workbook that’s more applicable to you! Or just journal processing things to do with your ED, but I think, to some extent, treatment is what you make of it, and even if all they do is keep you alive, if you want more from treatment than that, I think you can do stuff on your own to make treatment more than that! And at the end of the day, even if all they do is keep you alive, that is certainty still better than the alternative!
There is also “The Body Image Workbook” by Thomas F. Cash that I have found really helpful in bringing to treatment with me and doing in my down time! I also have co occurring ARFID and a workbook I have done that is specifically for ARFID is called “Conquer Picky Eating” (I know that title might put some people off as ARFID is more than simply being a picky eater, so I know the title is not the greatest, but I did that workbook with a dietician I used to have, and did find it helpful for my ARFID despite the title not being that great) by Jenny McGlothlin and Katja Rowell.
Also, if you are someone who finds groups or peer support helpful, since you don’t go to groups at Acute, maybe attending online ED support groups at Acute would make treatment there more therapeutic for you? I don’t know if Acute would allow this or not, but it couldn’t hurt to ask them if you could? ANAD has daily free virtual zoom support groups, The Alliance for Eating Disorders has free virtual zoom support groups, Center for Discovery has free zoom support groups (you don’t ever have to have been to CFD to attend them), I know ERC has zoom support groups (and I don’t think they require you to ever have been to ERC to attend them, but I have never been to their groups, so I’m not sure about that?), Eating Disorders Anonymous has daily free zoom support groups (they do follow the 12 step model, but they’ve modified/changed the steps to make them more applicable to ED’s). I don’t know what each of those organizations particular rules are on if you’re allowed to attend their groups while at a HLOC, but it couldn’t hurt to reach out to them and ask, and of course, you’d probably need Acute’s permission as well to be attending virtual groups while a patient at Acute, and I don’t know if they’d allow that or not, but if you’re someone who finds peer support and groups helpful in treatment, maybe asking Acute if you’d be allowed to attend online virtual support groups while there? And if they say no, you can still bring workbooks, or do journaling exercises on your own to make treatment about more than just keeping you alive! And like I said, at the end of the day, if all you get out of treatment is that it kept you alive, that is still huge, and definitely way better than the alternative!
Yes. If you meet criteria for ACUTE and/or it is being recommended to you, it is absolutely somewhere to travel to from outside the states.
I have just had a two month admission at acute and have to say it is the best care I have ever received. The team have such a genuine care for their patients and really go above and beyond to ensure you are as comfortable as possible. The food is not bad for hospital food and they cater to all preferences. My dietician in particular was amazing and I would recommend acute to anyone time and time again. Trust them they know what they are doing!! If you have any questions I will answer all on this forum!
Wondering if anyone has been here for bulimia specifically
Hi. I’ve just been on the waitlist for ACUTE. I was told the wait list in 2-3 weeks long. I’m in another hospital that doesn’t know anything about eating disorders which scares me to stay here. Does anyone have insight into why the waitlist is so and/or suggestions for getting in sooner? Thanks for any help.
Im here now and the unit is at max capacity. Try to stay safe in the current hospital.
I am discharging from here next week so hopefully a spot opens up
i am in a week and half ish as well so that will be another bed!
Hi Anon- I just wondered if you might have heard anything yet?
No, not yet.
I’m sorry…me either. If you’re open to emailing, could Rachel give you my address?
Im admitting to ACUTE monday and I have some questions I hope someone whose been there this year can answer.
1. What brand of pudding are they using? I have ARFID and only like one brand and know they change it. Pudding is my safe food.
2. To discharge to outpatient, do you have to reach a higher %ibw?
3. Are they currently allowing tea and condiments?
4. Levels–how long does it usually take to advance levels and get outings?
5. Outpatient communication–how was that? Did you feel your team was kept informed?
hi you can email me with any questions i am here atm
I can’t see your email friend! Can you ask the admin to pass it along to me or post then redact?
Hey Anon! Are you still at ACUTE? Coming next week…
I just left!! Hope you made it ok.
wondering if anyone has ever had a positive/decent experience at ACUTE?
Yes, for sure, and I know many others who have too. I know someone there right now who is having a good overall experience (though of course it isn’t easy). She says ACUTE has saved her life many times.
I just spent a few weeks there and had another bad experience but it varies for everyone.
Yes — I’ve been 5x total and have had two amazing experiences, one okay-ish one, and two horrendous ones. I’d say so much depends on the team you get (providers) and of course, your mindset, your priorities, your willingness to do the work and accept the help (and nutrition). it saved my life and one doctor, in particular, made it her mission to understand my case, help me, and remind me that my life is worth saving 100x over.
It’s gotten worse in recent years. I’ve had nine admissions and most recent was by far the worst.
Can you expand at all on why it was the worst?
The way that the team members and providers spoke to me and my family. It was verbally abusive at times and I left AMA because I could not cope with it. There’s a lot of variation in providers and how they show up with each patient. I’m a seed patient in my 20s and they seem annoyed and fed up with me after many unsuccessful admissions. I wish they had helped me more. Now I’m at home with *TW* an extremely low bmi *end TW* and no options. I wish the providers at acute had been more willing to meet me where I was at before labeling me as resistant. They even referred to my trauma as “trauma” in my chart.
Hi everyone, I have some questions and concerns if someone could help out! (Not mentioning any numbers (other than age) or any specifics).
I’ve been in the process of completing several assessments for various programs around the country, as it’s hard to find inpatient care as an adult over 25. ERC told me they will likely refer me to ACUTE, but I’m keeping my options open for The Emily Program, Melrose Center, or Laureate just in case. I’ve been through a lot of treatment over the years and honestly never thought I’d need ACUTE level care so I’m nervous, especially after seeing the reviews (I have a long trauma history).
As a boundary – please try to refrain from using this thread to tell me to try a different program instead, as this may be my only option. I appreciate the comments below for my awareness, but I’m looking for logistics right now. Thanks!!
Here are my questions:
Thank you so much to this amazing community and for Rachel for running/modding this website. I’ve been navigating treatment for so long, and this unbiased resource with trigger warnings and redacted triggering information is so valuable. I’m so grateful!
Yes you have to be off Medicare for 90 days before they will take you
If you have Medicare as a secondary or medicaid you must not only drop it but also wait 90 days. They do not EVER accept government insurance, no exceptions. I’ve used the medical flight option and it was very helpful.
Hi there. I hope you can go somewhere for help! To answer your questions:
good luck!
Unfortunately they will not accept you if you have Medicare, even if it is secondary. In fact they would not even allow you to self pay if you have Medicare.
This is due to their lack of CMS (Medicare) accreditation and the rules/laws around that.
Thank you so much (to you and the others who responded) for the information. Because of this rule, I’m unable to go to ACUTE (the only place that will take me), and I’m now sitting in the ER for the 9th hour in a row waiting to be admitted at my local hospital.
I’ve been begging for care for weeks, and no program in the entire country (literally) is able to help because I’m either too sick, too 30 years old, or too far away.
I truly hope that this system can one day be less broken. I wanna be healthy enough to be the one to make a change.
The system is horrible. I hope you get the help you need somehow.
Hi, I can’t answer all of these questions, but when I was there most of my clothing had pockets too. It was not an issue, but some of the sitters will ask to check your pockets after meals. If you need ACUTE, please please go. This sub will make it sound horrible, and I am not saying it doesn’t have flaws, but it saves lives, and that is a fact. Sending love <333
Yes im admitting monday. I delayed my admission because I have a lot of SA trauma and previous treatment trauma but I am dying and only acute will accept me. I think it’s inportant for people to remember their trauma is valid AND not to discourage others getting help. Sometimes acute is the only option.
I’m so sorry that ACUTE is your only option. I’m in the same boat and being in this place medically is so traumatizing. I’m so happy and proud of you for getting the help you need. I’m wishing you nothing but the best in your time there <3
I am so proud of you for taking this step. I know this is hard, but you are doing this for yourself, because you are worth more than this disease <3. Sometimes ACUTE is the only option, and it may be hard, but I believe in you! Always here to talk if you want
Hi Anon- I’m glad to hear that you’re admitting and can hopefully get the care you need. Are you possibly open to emailing? I may be going next week also. If so, Rachel should have my email address to share with you. Either way, I wish you the best!
does anyone know if ACUTE would ever suggest palliative care after medically stabilizing on their terms? or would that be something i would have to propose to my insurance myself?
Good luck with that! They are very quick to institutionalize and “cert’ folks, especially if you try to make a point of being the exception. Trust them at your own risk…
Palliative care wouldn’t be an alternative suggestion to treatment, but could be a supplemental service in an aftercare plan (in general). I would be very weary of communicating this to ACUTE if the need for palliative care has anything to do why with an eating disorder! They aren’t even harm reduction friendly! If you need palliative care, just ask your primary care provider. What kind of support do you hope to receive from palliative care?
i’ve unfortunately been cert-ed by ACUTE the last time i was there and i had 0 faith in them already and reading recent reviews is not helping that either.
i’ve only been considering palliative care as an option because of how chronic and severe my eating disorder has been and how i’m tired of the treatment cycle. i just want to stop being forced into and locked up in facilities and if having a caretaker where i live is the way to do it then so be it
*TW: SA*
I’m on hospice and need to go to ACUTE. I have an authorization and can tell them when im ready. When I asked them about the SA allegations with the CNAs they said they had a rigorous investigation and it was unfounded. Has anyone been there more recently since this happen to confirm if abusive staff were removed? I dont want to die but dont want to be SA
I haven’t been there since but as someone who experienced it, I promise it was not unfounded. It makes me angry to hear that. How can so many people who were there around the same time have a similar story? You never see other patients or talk to them, we couldn’t possibly have been sharing this info.
I believe you. I am just reporting what acute said when asked directly about it. In life and death situations people also have to weigh pros and cons–I know a family with a daughter who won’t survive her very extreme AN and having seen many treatment friends die sometimes people have to choose between two impossible things. ACUTE lying about the situation is a bad sign.
Conversely, if acute fired the cna who perpetrated and that’s what they meant, also good information for people to have. Take care.
Do you mind if I ask what happened? Why was the CNA fired, I am confused? A close friend of mine from treatment is strongly considering ACUTE, but I don’t want them to enter an abusive environment either, because they have enough of that in their personal life
I dont know that a cna was fired just that two patients experienced SA but acute told me on the phone its been taken care of/was “unfounded.” Doesn’t mean it invalidates the trauma the patients experienced just was sharing what I was told.
Hopefully someone who has been there recently or knows someone who has been can respond! Unless criminal charges were being publicly filed against the CNA, the ACUTE person on the phone wouldn’t answer truthfully. Anybody answering the phone has probably been instructed what to say and exactly how to word it – which unfortunately means that if she says anything other than what she was instructed to, she would either be breaching her employment contract (or possibly an NDA she was required to sign to keep her job) or it would make her liable to be sued herself.
I feel like someone recently on here mentioned something about what kind of legal protections to get before going, but I can’t remember where. Maybe getting someone to legally be your guardian in advance, so that ACUTE can’t take over the role?
HCPOA for medical and/or psych won’t be honored unless the document is created in Denver County. It has to be created and filed in Denver county to be protected and enforceable.
I can tell you with 100% certainty that it was not untrue or unfounded. And as one of the people who directly experienced this during the time frame as the others, it disgusts me that a treatment facility would say anything at all to discredit those who were unfortunately impacted by this.
Wouldn’t be the first time ACUTE blatantly lied. Sorry this happened to you.
Advice for those being falsely held at acute after far surpassing their discharge criteria? Holding a medically stable person in a medical stabilization unit; also I’m very very medically stable and far far surpass their discharge criteria
I have a friend this happened to. She was forced to go to ERC. This has happened more often than not. Get an outside assessment from another psychiatrist
The same thing happened to me. I was trapped. So were many others. I never met anyone who successfully fought against a hold and won, I hate to say.
Get a family member to advocate if you can. If you’re truly stable weight wise and all other criteria wise they can’t cert you easily.
Could someone tell me how they convinced acute to lift their cert to let them go close to home? Really really homesick and I need my family support
Get an outside opinion from a psychiatrist. Report this to the BHA. This has been an ongoing problem with them forcing people to go to ERC.
Hi folks! It looks like the best options for my situation will be ACUTE & ERC in Denver. I’m hoping to connect with anyone who has been there within the past year. If you have, could you please check out my list of questions below? Thank you!!!
• When were you there?
• What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?
• What was your favorite group?
• What did you like the most?
• What did you like the least?
• Are patients at different inpatient levels (ITU, inpatient, residential) kept on separate units, or mixed together?
• Do they support the gender identities of nonbinary people?
• What is the rooming/bathroom/shower situations like for nonbinary identities?
• What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
• Are they able to do 1:1?
• What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, etc.)?
• Is TBT-S for harm reduction/SEED treatment used or available?
• What’s an average weekday:
• What are the weekends like?
• When do we get access to our bed/rooms
• Are there places to sit for some privacy? Like, if you need to do school work, or want to be alone?
• What is holiday programming like (if you were there during any holidays)
• Meal Schedule?
• What sorts of food were available or served? Are you able to have preferences?
• What is to be expected if someone is experiencing active self-destructive behaviors like self-harm or other intentional SI/SH behaviors?
• What is the policy of not being able to finish food?
• Are you able to not eat certain meats?
• What privileges are allowed or need to be earned?
• Is there a level system?
• How do you earn privileges?
• What sort of groups do they have?
• What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
• Were there outings or passes that you could go on alone or with others?
• Do they give you your weight depending on your situation?
• What was the average length of stay if you completed the whole program through PHP?
• What is the maximum stay you’ve noticed if you complete the whole program through PHP?
• What was the average age range?
• What is the electronics policy for school/work?
• What items are not allowed? Specifically, what types of the following are allowed- hair spray, dry shampoo, floating head electric razor, deodorant, perfume, mouthwash, makeup brushes, mascaras/eyeliners?
• Policy on clothes & how strict they were?
• Do they allow jewelry? If so, what kinds?
• What types of decorations or keepsakes can you bring? For specifically, crystals, picture hanging things?
• Policy on notebooks and art supplies?
• What is the maximum stuffed animal policy?
• What types of vapes are allowed? Nicotine, anxiety/herbs vapes, medical cannabis?
They absolutely do not allow any vape of any kind especially cannabis. You will be offered a nicotine patch for withdrawal. Never heard of a maximum stuffed aninal policy but if you have say dozens I’d imagine they’d challenge why that many. You can have any makeup you want. You’re not allowed to wear skirts or shorts when you do laps or tank tops but you can have them. The strictness of dress code can often correlate with how low bmi you are. All bathrooms are private and they accept all genders.
There is no where you can sit to be alone that is not a thing there
*TW: involuntary treatment*
How likely is someone to prevent a cert if threatened if they have a lawyer? Is it a real court hearing? Or a circus?
Unfortunately I think it is a circus. I was on a cert and I didn’t even attempt to fight it. I don’t think you would get anywhere…
There is a real court hearing. Since ACUTE has a long history, they nearly always win
Postponed my admission after hearing of recent SA at acute. Anyone currently there able to give insight on the treatment??
Dumb question maybe… but what SA?
*trigger warning* sexual abuse
would not recommend at all. go elsewhere if you can (again my experience is different from others, but I’ve met a lot whose have been exactly the same). prepare to potentially be trapped for months against your will even if completely compliant
Would you mind saying more? I can’t go anywhere else only acute accepted me..thanks so much for your time.
I’ve been to ACUTE a few times and while I’ve had some experiences that I wouldn’t want to repeat, if it’s the only place that will accept you, please, please go. That’s a sign you need medical care and if you go without it, death is probably not an impossibility.
Agreed.
Yes. It’s true. I was one.
Anyone who has been to Acute then certed at ERC Denver then sent back to Acute- have any of you ever gotten them to drop the cert and let you go somewhere else other than back to ERC?
yes, you can email me if you wanna talk
yes please! what’s your email (if that’s allowed?)
Hi,
I was wondering if anyone who has been there recently could answer this about what the current condiment and beverages rules are. Thank you!!
Has anyone ever been a position where they met discharge criteria but Erc Denver inpatient doesn’t have a bed and the team won’t let you go anywhere else for example another erc inpatient that does have immediate availability. (Not on a cert but don’t want to go against what they say and they say erc Denver is the only option). So do you just weight restore here for weeks despite meeting discharge criteria and then never go to treatment
This [redacted] if it goes on much longer, you meet medical criteria for discharge, there are no beds at Denver, and there ARE openings at another ERC inpatient. Refusing to discharge someone from a higher level of care when they quality for a lower or less restrictive level of care, AND there is space in that less restrictive/lower level (like Texas having space) may violate their Joint Commission accreditation. This is called the “least restrictive environment” or “least restrictive alternative” rule.) Here is a summary with some tips: https://disabilitylawco.org/sites/default/files/uploads/DLC%20Olmstead%20LRE%20Fact%20Sheet_0_0.pdf
What “justification” are they giving you for not letting you go to the Texas location, especially given there being no beds at the Denver IP? Since you aren’t on a Colorado cert, they probably don’t have a legitimate reason (whether legally or to your insurance) to keep you in Colorado
I wonder if your insurance has already approved a ton more days at ACUTE and that’s why ACUTE isn’t working harder to get you discharged/transferred/stepped down. They are supposed to provide an update to your insurance to tell them that you no longer need their level of care and that you meet discharge criteria, but I wonder if they haven’t. Otherwise insurance would likely have you in Texas lickity split!
I recommend emailing the Patient Access Coordinator at ERC to find out what they are hearing on their end and see if there is anything they can do. They are super helpful and responsive and genuinely effective – and because they have no loyalty to any given ERC location, they won’t care which one you go to, as long as you get there. They’ll also be able to reach out to ACUTE on their own, they are good at their job and will get right back to you.
If ACUTE were to give the patient access people pushback, maybe the patient access people can explain how you want to be able to start doing regular therapy and eating meals with other patients and doing actual therapy groups
If it’s something about wanting to make sure you actually go to stepdown, or get that you get there “safely,” ERC has a couple staff members (I think they are called concierge) who can directly arrange flights, hotel, Uber, everything, for patients who need assistance or help with coordination for admission, for whatever reason. They even have a contracted driver service who can pick you up from the airport, and if they aren’t available they book an Uber for you. Ask ACUTE and/or the Patient Access people whether you can do that, to make them more comfortable. ERC has a financial aid program with concierge people. But you don’t need to be on Financial Aid to use their services!
I’m too scared to ask them because I’m scared they’ll cert me if I try to go against what they say. It seems like everyone here is on a cert these days
Also is there any way I can email you more about this?
**TW for involuntary treatment**
Just discharged last week from here. *** I was out of state and certed [but] they did drop the cert though and let me go to a res closer to home.
How did you get them to let you go to a res closer to home? ERC Denver IP has no beds and I meet discharge criteria but I’m stuck until they get beds
I recommend researching other ip and res and do the reaching out yourself. Then I would advocate to your team why going somewhere else would be better for you. In my case I said being closer to home and the ability to have visitors( my family could not afford to travel constantly to Colorado) was imperative to my mental psyche recommend completing to the best of your abilities and really using your time with the psychologist.
For those who went from acute to erc Denver inpatient do they decrease your meal plan from what you had at acute or are they even bigger meal plans? Really worried bc I already struggle w the size of my meal plan at acute
*moved from ERC page to ACUTE page since the question is for people who went to ACUTE
This is very individualized so I think would be hard for people to answer.
ERC usually ups your meal plan. They tend to refeed pretty aggressively, but they will use shakes and other supplements to decrease volume.
I was there almost 10 years ago…
My MP was considerably larger at ERC. I’m unable to say anything positive about ERC though.
While I felt like ERC was little more than a cookie cutter feeding center, ACUTE’s nutrition philosophy actually had me feeling hopeful about recovery until I was certified.
After being certified to ERC, my soul went offline for several years. It’s a shame that a choice to get “help” became the greatest regret of my eating disorder and a lingering trauma to address in my healing.
same 🙁
To be fair expecting a meal plan to continue to be increased is part of the general process of early recovery (and yes, even after a stay at ACUTE, it’s still early recovery).
As one’s body begins to heal metabolism also starts to pick up & recover, and some people go into hyper metabolism. Thus, to achieve ongoing weight restoration meal plans have to be upped frequently.
Your meal plan will continue to increase until you are weight restored. It’s going to be okay. Trust the process if you can.
I was at erc for 3 weeks (before I left) after acute and mine didn’t get any increases. I think it’s based off trends. If you’re weight is still trending upward at the pace they want then they won’t increase I’m assuming.
Increased and in my 30+ year “treatment resume,” they increased the most quickly. It sent me over the edge mentally. It has taken 10 years to recover from the horrors of those halls… best of luck.
ERC will increase your meal plan.
Are you able to be discharged home or absolutely have to go to residential/iop/php
It is possible to be discharged home. It’s dependent on a lot of things, but I know you have to have an outpatient team set up who is willing to take you back.
Does anyone who came from Acute to erc Denver inpatient know how long after the intake call (that was set up by the acute) they were able to admit to erc Denver inpatient (assuming there is no waitlist)
Honestly don’t come here. Whatever you do just don’t. If you can go anywhere else (and I mean absolutely anywhere else) go there instead
I’m currently here right now and I can honestly say (unless nowhere else will accept you and it’s a matter of life and death which then you should obviously come) these are the meanest people ever who just will essentially bully you into things and do things that just don’t make sense. And I’m not even saying don’t make sense or are challenging for an eating disorder brain but I mean things that are just plain wrong. Again this is also team dependent. I have just been very unlucky. I have been here 6 weeks and my dietician hasn’t let me pick anything she essentially just fills it all in for me so I suck it up and eat it. Th is past week after just one “restriction” which wasn’t even a restriction because I’m not allowed to supplement (oh yeah just beware also some dieticians may not even let you supplement) and I BEGGED for supplement- I even offered to drink triple the amount of ensure- they tubed me completely and took away all my trays. To take away all my oral nutrition and replace with all tube feed for one incomplete -which again wouldn’t be an incomplete because I offered to drink supplement- is just punishment and mean
so yes if anyone has more specific questions – again not everyone gets the same team so different dieticians work differently- but I can honestly say coming out of here I don’t feel that this place has helped me at all. Yes I gained weight which if very important but it’s not just a physical disease it’s a mental one and the methods they use are not helpful whatsoever in helping me stay healthy long term
I can’t understand how they can continue to get away with such abuses of power. It enrages me. I’ve very rarely had violent fantasies, but I definitely hope the individuals responsible for creating that environment and profiting off of such destructive “treatment” find their karma.
I heard the founder will be retiring soon, and it cannot be soon enough! If only I could have secured a lawyer to push back when they scarred my soul a decade ago. I don’t even think the lives “saved” there are worth the horrors enacted under their control.
I continue to regret my decision to go there and hope you can get out ASAP with the least harm possible.
Also the logic when I asked why can’t I have supplement was “we don’t want you to supplement. We want you to only eat actual food on the tray” yet for this one incomplete which they wouldn’t allow me to drink ensure for, they tubed me and took away all of my oral nutrition to replace with ng supplement. I cannot even understand this logic??? They don’t want me supplementing absolutely anything not even one little granola bar yet they take away all of my trays and put me on complete tube feed which is all supplement. So essentially they replaced oral intake that I would actually eat with tube supplement. How does this benefit me or anyone? I thought they prefer oral nutrition and want me to eat the food on the trays. I’m honestly beyond scarred and this place is a complete horror story. Also the “incomplete” was not even an item of my picking because like I said my dietician hasn’t let me choose any of my meals or snacks since being here. None of my cnas or nurses could even figure out why I was tubed and were shocked when they saw it. When I ask any of my other providers they just say “it’s up to the dietician”
that’s another thing- don’t expect your team to actually remember your case. I’ve been switched off from doctor to doctor none of them even remember my name and my psychologist comes maybe once a week for 10 minutes if that
so again if it’s a matter of life or death come but if you can go anywhere else go. This place is not right at all. Also I’m too scared to even say anything because they can easily make you involuntary
Please complain to Denver health
based on everything I read about this place I feel like they’d just cert me. Also I met discharge criteria over a week ago but they’re still keeping me here and essentially it’s kind of just like eating (well in my case as of this past week tubing to get out). Not really helping the disorder anymore. And they’re overstepping their job which is to medically stabilize. I was medically stable as of last week and meet all discharge criteria so I have no clue why I’m being kept here
I’m so sorry for your experience. Do you mind me asking if they’re forcing you to step down to ip/res vs outpatient?
Did they give a reason for not offering you supplement? I’ve been through acute ten times and I have never heard of them not offering supplement. This is so concerning Im so sorry this happened to you.
They just say they don’t want me supplementing and if I want supplement then the tube is more balanced supplement which makes no sense because to replace my entire meal plan which is very high rn with all tube feed is way more than needing maybe just one cup of ensure per day. They also say that supplementing won’t help me at erc which makes no sense because erc lets you supplement
Do you mind elaborating? Sorry, I’m not sure if you’re the same Anonymous who wrote the longer post below, so if you are, please disregard!
Hi,
yes, I’m the same one who wrote the longer post. Yes, they are making me step down to ERC Denver IP. That’s another funny thing is that being “voluntary” really doesn’t mean anything because one would think oh being voluntary means I have a choice, but no essentially you’re voluntary until you don’t do exactly what they want.
This is what happened to me! I was 100% compliant at ACUTE and was certified to ERC despite having another arrangement that was encouraged by my home providers, and consulting providers. My providers suggested to ACUTE that ERC would be our last choice for transition plan.
Once felt the meetings moved from case management to tag-team bullying sessions to get me into ERC, I contacted a Denver Health patient advocate. Ironically, DH psychiatry suddenly, magically wanted to consult my case. I was determined to be gravely disabled for allowing my medical condition to deteriorate to a point of physical endangerment, ~ and only at the time they no longer needed me for their current (at the time) research protocol due to being determined medically stable!
The consulting providers communicated very clearly that I was waiting on new insurance to begin as Medicare & Medicaid weren’t coordinating benefits at the time, leaving me hard bound without a unit in my state for adults. In fact, I had a Disability Rights case open, but we didn’t want to wait anymore. But then they used it as gaslight fuel.
I felt completely duped when I saw a name plate for the doctor at ACUTE on one of the first door plates I saw as I was being wheeled into ERC against my will.
I WISH MY EXPERIENCE could be written off as an isolated incident.
While I know their tactics do help many people, I appreciate the ability to communicate what can happen if it’s a poor match so folks can make informed decisions.
I wish you the best through this!
I’m really sorry. If you had an outpatient team you could step down to instead of going to IP, does it seem like they’d be open to that?
They won’t even let me choose which ERC inpatient I want to go to- I’d prefer Plano rather than Denver due to it being closer to home, so I doubt it
I turned down the bed I was supposed to take at ACUTE yesterday after reading all these posts from the last week or so. I really hope it was the right thing to do :/
I hope you made an informed decision. I would like to believe no matter how poorly one is doing, they deserve to be treated with honesty, compassion, and grace.
Are you considering other options?
Thank you. Yeah, I am. I just have to follow through.
Obviously if it is a matter of life or death I would encourage you to come, but if another hospital is able to help you or treatment center even, I would go there. I wouldn’t wish this suffering or treatment on anyone right now. It’s not right and it’s just bullying and mass gaining while not actually helping treat the individual and kind of just making everything worse
LS, I say this with all the care in the world, but I really think being on this site is doing you more harm than good and that it would be best for your recovery to take a break. Correct me if I’m wrong, but this is at least the second(?) time you’ve turned down treatment because of this site, and if you keep doing so, I’m worried one day you may not be around to even be able to receive treatment.
Thank you, Anon. You’re not wrong :/
**TW**
Do they have a higher weight requirement if you want to discharge to outpatient vs discharging to an inpatient program
Honestly I don’t believe so. They try to get everyone into residential. I don’t even have an ED! (I’m five years recovered with strange GI issues). I mean, generally they can’t force you unless you are on a cert (which would be if your bmi is very low), but they will bug you about going to res even if it’s not a good fit. Be prepared to do a lot of coordination for your discharge
i guess what I’m asking is that if you are still considered “underweight” by bmi standards will they be quicker to discharge you if you are going straight to inpatient than if you wanted to return home
So sorry for delayed response! Yup they will usually be quicker to discharge you if you are going from ACUTE to inpatient than if you are going from ACUTE to outpatient. If you are going to inpatient they know you will be able to continue restoring once there while still receiving the 24/7 medical and behavioral monitoring, but if you are going straight home afterwards they know you won’t have that. So you need to be completely stabilized medically and have restored slightly more. It’s too dangerous to discharge you right home otherwise. Usually to go home you would still have to do a 7 day PHP once you get there, occasionally they have allowed people to discharge to a virtual PHP like Within that can be done from home.
My experience was a little different. I discharged straight back to my outpatient team and they let me leave when I was right at the %IBW discharge criteria. (I was medically stable though.) It’s pretty individualized case-by-case.
Thank you so much for the response!
Does anyone here know how accurate the elos on service plans are?
Mine was extremely accurate.
Does anyone else who has been here feel that some providers really cross the line of being stern vs being a bully? I’ve met some of the unkindest people here in my life who forget that we are human too. I understand when someone is being stern and challenging the disorder, but some providers here are just flat out unkind
Yes!! I am going to leave a full review in a moment but I was honestly shocked
yes!! i’m so glad i’m not alone.
Thank you all for responding. I’ve been here for 6 weeks now and thought it was just me
I’m really interested to hear more about this! I’m so sorry it’s happening.
Yes absolutely in previous admissions..this is why I hesitate to go back even though it is my only option. Many of the attendings are cruel.
Do you mind me asking if you’re planning to go back? I think I am, but they said there’s a lengthy wait list, which I don’t think is true, so I’m just curious what you’re being told.
I was told no wait but opted to admit on a certain date for my family’s convenience.
I did experience this there with one or two of the providers, the rest were great. My RD, OT, SW, PT and majority of the nurses were great!
Absolutely! My experience there was life altering, in a near death kind of way. It was horrific and the conflict of interest between X owning ACUTE and being staffed at ERC at the time, undisclosed, was unethical at best, criminal in my experience. I left hoping to die and undetermined to live, let alone recover.
This was my exact experience.
Hi all. This site was so helpful to me when I was struggling with my ED and I want to give back! I am currently here for malnutrition resulting from GI issues, so if anyone is curious on what it may be like if you come for a reason other than solely an ED, I am happy to help!
I think that would be really helpful. I think that it would be really helpful to have a full review of your stay if you have the bandwidth to do that.
Im scheduled to admit in the next week. I’ve been a patient several times before here but its been over a year since my last stay so I have a few questions.
Do they allow outings at all under the new level system?
What’s the situation with visiting hours?
Are there still therapy dogs?
Are the groups still optional?
And do you still see your rd five days a week?
Thank you 🙂
I was there in Feb/March so not super super recent but can speak to my experience. Not sure how it is/was for other patients.
I hope this is somewhat helpful. I’m happy to answer any other questions I can!
Ps – I saw people previously asking abt condiments/tea etc and staffing.
While I was there they switched the condiment protocol from 4 automatic condiments coming with each meal to you having to request them yourself at meal planning. An optional beverage was offered at breakfast and evening snack.
Staffing seemed pretty good while I was there, no issues to note, but I was placed with more floats (cna/bht that don’t exclusively work on ACUTE floor) as my stay went on and their familiarity/experience with the unit and culture/rules varied.
This is very random but was remy a retriever, a copper colored one? My old therapist moved to Denver CO a couple years ago and he was training to be a therapy dog before she moved. Did you see his handler? Her name is [redacted].*
*admin note: human’s name will be redacted after seen (per site policy of no human’s names)
Yes, Remy was a golden retriever I believe – I don’t remember the handler, I heard of Remy through word of mouth
Remy is a Golden Retriever but he is a lighter shade and his handler is an older gentleman. He might have retired because he’s getting old (I haven’t been to Acute in a few years but saw Remy and his handler alot during my previous stays)
Good news! He still stops by occasionally. I saw him a few days ago 🙂
This was so helpful, thank you!! Another question–are you still allowed to take laps after meals? Are they enforcing a strict dress code? Im autistic and only wear skirts and dresses and this was challenging in the past
Yes you can do laps if you complete so that’s hard for me because I’m here for GI issues. Most people seem to wear pjs but if your skirts and dresses can go past your knees or so I’m sure it would be fine
Thank you 🙂 it seems the level system took a lot of freedoms acute used to offer
I’m a parent of an adult child here. Can I get them out earlier then their length of stay or will I just end up getting them placed on a hold
Depends on why you want to get them out and what % ibw they are. If they are having a traumatic experience and you’ve lined up other care maybe ok?
Currently a patient at ACUTE. My social worker never comes by my room. Is it okay to start contacting ERC to plan my discharge to inpatient, or do they discourage that and want you to leave it all up to the social worker?
Will they allow you to discharge to Torrance Memorial?
No because it’s the same level of care.
I need to speak to someone who has been here recently, how can I facilitate this?
Based on the brief content of your other post, EDTR cannot facilitate this. The risk of triggering that person, or of you being triggered, is entirely too high. Any contact info posted will be removed. Please just review the site guidelines and then post your questions on here based on those guidelines.
I have been there twice, not too long ago. If you post questions, per Rachel’s request, I will try to answer them. I think the point of this site is to post questions which help other people as well, and to protect individuals from sharing personal information! Rachel has a great setup and it’s easy to use.
What do you guys do all day with all of the free time? I feel like I would go nuts!
Read, TV, use your devices, nap–it can be boring but usually you’re not feeling super well so the time passes.
Can they hold you if here on out of pocket? I don’t have insurance, but I need their lifesaving treatment to get me past the first stages of refeeding but can only afford the bare minimum number of weeks needed to do so and cannot afford to pay until %IBW discharge criteria.
I think only they can truly answer this question 🙁
They don’t allow self pay.
For international patients, they allow self pay
Isn’t that illegal? Especially if you literally have zero dollars and drowning in credit card debt?
Is the understaffing any better lately?
I’ve heard that it is.
typical length of stay?
There is no “typical” – but please read the many reviews people have submitted for this information. People put a lot of work into the reviews they write – take advantage of the information shared, especially given that this is one of the questions in the review template. 🙂 Anything beyond what is in the reviews you will need to ask admissions.
They published a summary of all their data collected in 2024 and the typical length of stay is 3-4 weeks from their official documentation.
Here currently and am happy to answer any questions!
Recent changes as of February – you can now have 4 condiments of choice with each meal and one with evening snack.
One caffeinated beverage a day offered at breakfast (coffee, diet coke, diet sprite, or tea) and one decaf beverage offered at night snack (diet sprite or herbal tea).
So you can’t have hot tea at all meals/snacks anymore?
no 🙁 it was very upsetting
Darn. Well at least there’s still the caffeinated beverage at breakfast and decaf at night snack. Are you there now?
yes! and i know- not as bad as i expected tbh!
So glad to hear that! if you’re open to email, Rachel should have my address, but I totally understand if not!
Can confirm LS is good people 🙂
Yes! Of course.. i’m happy to answer any questions. I’d rather not post my email, but is there a way to message rachel?
Sorry, I’m just seeing this! Rachel, do you have suggestions?
Anon, if you email me at xxx I will send you LS’s email address!
sent!
Heading back. Been admitted before but not since the new level system. How are things now and what’s up with all the staffing issues? Average length of stay these days?
I’m probably about to head back too and am interested in how the staffing is in particular. Good luck to you!
what’s the current rule about tea with meals/snacks and condiments? when i was there last they took away individual condiments and made it only coffee or tea with breakfast.
Well, I didn’t go back but am wondering about that too. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to find out.
Hey Anon- just curious if you went back? I may be admitting tomorrow.
Not yet I was too nervous about the staffing stuff I heard. Don’t let it stop you
just posted answer above ^
I just wanted to see if anyone might have been to ACUTE in the last few weeks who could offer some info? I know they’ve had some major staffing issues since at least December and wondered if things are any better.
I personally feel that staffing is much better now! I have had wonderful CNAs and nurses.
The kitchen seems much better as well!
hi! does anyone have any idea what the admission process looks like currently? how long is the wait? also any current reviews would be so appreciated
Anyone very recently been to, or are currently at Acute, Denver? About to go back, I was there last year, but waiting for insurance to clear. Any help is greatly appreciated.
*admin note: moved from client general forum to Acute page per site policy ofposting on the treatment center’s page
I was there about a month ago, so let me know if I can help.
Here now. Ask away!
Hi Grateful!
I am glad that you are there. When I was there last year, Acute saved my life. Unfortunately, I have to return.
I am not sure if you have been there before, but I was wondering if there have been changes or what is it like now?
How are the CNAs/BHTs?
Are they short staffed?
Are they full? My insurance gives a problem and Acute helps me fight it because I really need to be there.
Are they doing the optional groups? Last year one group started back up the week I left.
Do you know if there have been any staff (doctors) changes?
How are the RDs?
How many times per week are you able to see OT & PT?
what is the schedule like these days?
Any menu or policy changes?
How has discharge planning with the Social worker been?
Are weekends still boring?
Electronics policy still the same?
How are you doing? Any plans on where you will go after Acute? Have you been in for a while?
Thank you so much for taking the time!
I can’t really say that the changes are because this is my first time. I know right now. They’re really short staffed in the kitchen and you only get one 8 ounce noncalitic beverage with breakfast. Otherwise it’s just your jug of water which is not admission for me and menu selection pretty scaled back.
But once I spoke to the nerves been charged of all them says about a very rude nurse upon admission, they put me with better people lol
YES
Only half capacity
I keep asking about that. No one knows anything.
Not sure… I just know who mine are at the moment and the doctor I life is leaving Sunday
I just know I don’t like mine… very snotty
2x
it’s the same as most have listed with visitors in the evenings and weekends
Since this is my first time, I only know how it is right now
Feel like they’re working on it
If you have visitors, it helps
Think so
TBD 🙂
Anytime!
Hi Grateful! If you are still there, I just wondered if you might be able to answer a few questions?
Hi Grateful and Anonymous!
I have been to Acute multiple times before but looks like I might be admitting at the end of next week or the week after and have some questions about the changes, how they’re doing in re: honoring individual IP/res requests (places you want to go), how fast people are moving through levels, etc.
If you’re willing to answer some questions, please email me at [redacted].
Thank you!
Hi anonymous
I was recently at Acute and most of the things you are questioning are very individualized. I have been there a few times and didn’t notice many changes over this past year if that helps. I’m willing to answer questions here but prefer not to email. Like I said your dispo plan and how fast you move levels depends on your medical status and history.
I understand, thank you Anon.
Do you (or anyone else who’s been in the last few months) feel that they’re still taking and honoring individual requests for inpatient/residential programs into consideration, or have you seen more and more urging to head to ERC post-Acute?
Also, someone mentioned that one of the doctors left — does anyone know which Dr. left? @Rachel not sure if their name can be mentioned here as per site policy.
Since you can’t talk to many patients I’m not sure in general, but they did not push me to ERC as I already had an accepting facility for after and they worked with that. I also would not go to ERC so planned by contacting places before so had other options. Don’t leave it up to the SW, do the contacting before.
This is great advice and was really helpful, thanks @Anon!
I’m here now if anyone has questions. It’s a good place. The biggest thing is that they are still understaffed. I was moved to level breck on my 2nd day and level copper on my 4th day (today). I think a lot of the reasoning is that they are moving people up who are more stable because they don’t have the staff for so many 1:1’s.
whats it like there? do people eat? how fast are they to tube? will they restrain you if you try to exercise? is it hard not to compare body/food to other pts? my doctor wants me to go but i dont feel “sick enough” and like i wont be taken seriously
this program is all room-based, so you don’t see other patients. yes, everyone eats, it’s not really an option not to. you also won’t see them so you don’t have to worry about competition with others. there’s no ability to exercise because you have someone in your room with you 24/7 if you need support. they will tube pretty quickly if you don’t complete. if you need to go, go!
i was asking about the exercise cause ive been under 24/7 hour supervision before and they just allowed the bx to continue so i guess that was what i was curious about. thanks 🙂
It’s kind of hard to answer all that because you have very little interaction with the other patients, and definitely not when eating. You’re in your room all day other than when doing “laps” around the unit once you’re cleared for that. I honestly don’t know how quick they are to tube, but I’d assume pretty quick if you are not at least completing supplements. I can’t imagine them being allowed to restrain you, but there’s really no way to exercise because you either have a tech/CNA with you at all times or you are on camera. I will say that yes, when I saw other patients in the halls, it was very hard not to compare body size, but again, you won’t have any idea what/how much others are eating.
If your doctor wants you to go, trust that they know what they’re talking about and you are “sick enough.” And if ACUTE accepts you, then are too. No matter what, I’d recommend giving it a chance. ACUTE is pretty much top in the nation and they have a great team.
*TW: restraints*
When I went I overheard my night CNA talk to the CNA she was training about restraining patients and going into great detail. If you are overly/violently (to yourself or others) noncompliant they will tie you to the bed apparently.
I’ve never heard of them doing anything like that, and I’m sure if they do, it would only be in an extreme situation where the person is a danger to themself or others.
Well I literally confirmed three workers there saying they did do it and was a patient there. You’re basing what you’re saying entirely on what you “feel” they would do but I telling you the exact facts of a situation.
I was very concerned after hearing the nurse tell her trainee that they do so and instruct her to do so as well, that I told the Lead Nurse, who confirmed to me that yes they do it. I mean, patients can be held against their will there (which happened to me), so it is not out of the realm of imagination that a mentally unwell patient would begin to self harm and need to be restrained to stop.
I am not saying this to smear ACUTE. In fact, I love them and wrote a glowing review and a 40 page presentation on how to make the most of your time there. However, I am not going to about what I know is the truth, and I do not know why you are rushing to discredit my genuine lived experience as a patient.
Woah, I think you took my comments the wrong way, belle. I didn’t deny that it could happen and I believe you.
Hey belle! Just so you know, the link for the spreadsheet/pdf didn’t work. It needs to be a link to an online copy of it to be able to share it online, so you’ll need to upload it to something like iCloud, OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, etc and then use the “share link” from there. Maybe make a throwaway Gmail account and upload it to that account’s Google Drive?
Does anyone know current waitlist?
They just filled up… but a few weeks ago they had no waitlist so it changes frequently.
I’m hoping someone may know the answer to this.
Does ACUTE only admit severe cases? I may need a short term program before transferring to another HLOC. Not at extreme low BMI etc. I can call but a little embarrassed :/
They only take people who need medical stabilization. It’s under your medical benefit so they need to justify medical necessity for coverage.
Often that comes with very low BMI, but there are cases where people are extremely ill but not super low weight. GI issues, cardiac issues, severe electrolyte imbalances, etc.
Call! You won’t know until you talk to them. And remind yourself there is no shame in needing help but not being medically unstable or extremely low BMI.
That’s like someone with cancer being embarrassed that they’re well enough for outpatient infusion for chemo administration and don’t need to be admitted IP. Or being embarrassed that your cancer is only stage 2 and not stage 4.
You deserve help no matter what.
your analogy to cancer is very helpful. Thank you.
Do not be embarrassed AT ALL. Eating disorders kill at every BMI and your weight does not indicate your level of suffering.
That said, ACUTE primarily treats people with very low weights or extreme medical complications. It’s just kinda their niche. You can always call and ask but it might feel bad. A lot of other programs do medical stabilization for people in all different bodies. Princeton and and UCSD have medical programming.
Please don’t hesitate to get care. You deserve it.
As far as I am aware, acute does not have a high bmi cut off. Acute only treats people who are very severely medically unstable, but you don’t necessarily have to be a low bmi to be extremely medically unstable. Acute was considering admitting me due to medical complications of my ED I was experiencing a few years ago due to Atypical Anorexia, and my BMI was actually in the “obese” category at the time, and acute said that didn’t automatically rule me out, and they were considering admitting me. They ended up not admitting me, but it wasn’t due to my bmi. It was because they felt like they couldn’t handle the severity of my co occurring psych issues, as they are a medical hospital, not a psych hospital, and I was struggling with psychosis at the time, and they didn’t feel equipped to deal with psychosis, but I think if it hadn’t been for that, they would have accepted me, even though my bmi was “obese” at the time, because I was extremely medically unstable at the time due to my ED. As far as I am aware, they do not have a high bmi cut off, and will accept anyone at any weight as long as you are medically unstable enough to meet their admissions criteria. If they tell you no, ERC Denver also tends to accept more severely medically compromised people, as does Melrose, Torrance, Princeton, Robert Wood Johnson, UNC Chapel Hill, UPMC COPE, and Alexian often medically stabilizes people at their affiliated medical hospital before admitting them to their IP ED unit.
I have been to ACUTE twice at different weights. Both weights were in what is considered the “normal” bmi category. The first time for an Eating Disorder and the 2nd time for Gastroparesis/feeding tube related issues.
They did what I needed at the time. My case was severe for medical reasons other than bmi. There are different criterias that define severe and I think people focus too much on bmi.
At my very worst, I wasn’t even at a place like ACUTE, but in a regular hospital in a step-down unit.
I feel like it just depends on what you need and what they can offer.
I am soon to be admitting to ACUTE for severe malnutrition and ARFID/Anorexia. I have been here once before as a non vegan , but am now vegan and going back to the program. Can anyone speak to if they allow you to be vegetarian and avoid dairy? My biggest concern being having a [non]vegan supplement as well as being forced to eat meat.
Is this a recovery-oriented post? Also have you asked these questions of them directly yet?
They won’t force you to eat meat but vegan supplement was not available any of the times I was there. Your admissions counselor may know more about your specific case.
All I will say is knowing what I learned going there with a very secure after plan, I would not go if I didn’t want to be cornered into agreeing to go inpatient or residential directly from ACUTE.
I had pre-arranged a step down to PHP directed by a fairly respected psychologist