Linden Oaks Behavioral Health’s eating disorder treatment program treats adults and adolescents age 13 and older.
They offer medical hospitalization, inpatient, partial hospitalization program (PHP), intensive outpatient program (IOP), and psychiatric services/outpatient therapy options, at a few locations around Chicago, IL.
Updated reviews? Please post in comments below! You can check out the FAQ and Guidelines for suggested questions. Thank you!
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When were you there?
Spring of 2022, a few other times as well. I previously wrote a review on this website under the name Elizabeth on March 7th, 2018. Please be aware that a lot has changed in this program since then and I would no longer recommend Linden Oaks to anybody.
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 really depends, but between 3-13 maybe?
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined?
They do treat males and females in inpatient, however, adult males will have a bedroom on a different unit.
If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people?
Yes. Some staff are better than others but as a whole they seem okay
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc?
The medical doctor is usually just once or twice, unless you are having medical complications. You see a psychiatrist every day, but it may not always be the doctor assigned to you. Some psychiatrists will have their students or PA’s see you most of the time, while others will see you every weekday. On the weekends you will see a random psychiatrist (usually you will see the same doctor on both Saturday and Sunday, but the covering doctor changes every weekend). You meet with your therapist for a longer intake session when you first get there and then you kind of just see them for quick updates or if you have concerns. One of the therapists will run a process group every day, except on the weekends. The dietician will depend on what you individually need. You will have a long intake session with her at first and then you will see her for meal plan changes, etc.
What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
This also really depends. Linden Oaks as a whole is short-staffed. When the unit census is low (I think under 8 ish) there will only be one nurse, one therapist, one dietician, and one or maybe 2 behavioral health techs for the unit, when there are more patients there will be two nurses, two therapists, and 2-3 behavioral health techs. It isn’t bad when there are only 3 patients, but it can be very stressful and chaotic when they are one patient short of qualifying for more staff. The staff gets really spread thin and it is obvious that they are stressed and do not have enough staff.
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, etc.)?
DBT, Art therapy, recreation therapy (usually very light stretching), and occasionally ACT or CBT
Describe the average day:
What were meals like?
The quality of the food has gone very downhill since 2020. It is hospital food. You will place your order for your meals the day before and it is based on exchanges. You all eat together in one room but tables are spread apart with no more than two people per table. Staff will usually either play music or try to do table games.
What sorts of food were available or served?
There are always two hot entree options and there is a decent amount of variety. Fish, chicken, pasta, and Indian food are common. You can also always get pizza, chicken tenders, grilled cheese, sandwiches (although the rules for sandwiches are frequently changed), salads, hamburgers, and chicken sandwiches. They always have some kind of soup. They will not let you order the same thing twice in a row.
Did they supplement? How did that system work?
They do supplement with Ensure (Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry), Magic cups, or Ensure clear depending on what you and your dietician decide. They base how much supplement you get on the amount of food you didn’t finish. I think you have about 10 minutes to finish the supplement after meal time ends.
What is the policy of not complying with meals?
They will supplement you at first. If you continue to refuse to eat they will pull out a table and a chair for you in the hallway and you will eat alone facing the nursing station. Eventually, they will tube feed, put you in a wheelchair, and sometimes they will put you on ITP (Individualized Treatment Protocol). Basically, this means you will sit with a table and chair in the hallway all day working on worksheets. You will not be able to go in groups or the group rooms and you will not be able to talk to your peers.
Are you able to eat vegetarian?
Yes, you just have to talk to the dietician about it. You are not allowed to be vegan there.
What privileges are allowed?
You do get phone time throughout the day. If you get to a certain level you’ll get more phone time, less bathroom monitoring, be able to take showers at night, and get one hour of free time in your room during the day (doors are otherwise always locked, except to go to the bathroom)
Does it work on a level system?
Yes.
How do you earn privileges?
You move up levels by complying with your meal plan and your treatment plan. Moving up a level can take a few days, very rarely does anyone get to the final level before discharging.
What sort of groups do they have?
There is a lottttttt of free time in this program. There is a DBT group and meal planning group every day. Some days there is art therapy, recreation therapy, or dance movement therapy. Art is done often. There is a process group every weekday with a clinical therapist (be aware that adults and adolescents are not separated in groups, so you will not be able to process any adult topics). They also do a body image group and a nutrition group once a week and a “med ed” group which is really just a nurse trying to give a group about health issues, but they usually do not take it seriously and it is often just bingo.
What was your favorite group?
Art therapy (with one specific art therapist)
What did you like the most?
Some staff really try to make your stay better and they deserve better treatment from the hospital management.
What did you like the least?
There is so much free time, like the majority of your day will be free time.
I have also had issues with staff violating HIPPA and releasing my private information without my consent. When this happened I was seriously traumatized and they did not care. The information that was released was extremely personal.
As an adult, I had a really hard time sharing space with adolescents all day long. I was the only person above the age of 18 my whole stay. More often than not the adolescents do not want to be in treatment or get better and it is really hard to see, often I found it to be really triggering. There is also a huge potential for inappropriate conversations among the teens and/or teens and adults because no one really pays attention to what you’re saying in the day room. If you are considering sending your child here please know I have personally witnessed teens learning behaviors from each other, including behaviors that are not eating disorder-specific but are very harmful nonetheless, Of course, this can happen anywhere, but the day room never has staff in it unless there’s a group. It’s a lot of free time to go completely unmonitored.
This program is based on group therapy and adolescents and adults just have such different issues. Each deserves to have their own space to process those issues, but they do not have the staff to run two process groups.
Also watching PG movies only (due to adolescents being on the unit) means you watch a lot of Disney movies and this gets old really, really fast.
Would you recommend this program?
Absolutely not. Please seek treatment elsewhere unless this is your only option.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
Some light stretching with the recreation therapist and some light movement during dance therapy.
What did people do on weekends?
Weekends are almost entirely just free time and meals. We watched a lot of Disney movies. Some people would color or read. They have games if you ask for them but usually, there are not enough people to play.
Do you get to know your weight?
No
How fast is the weight gain process?
I’m not sure, I didn’t have to during my stay.
What was the average length of stay?
A week to maybe 4 weeks. This really depends on your mental stability, weight, and medical stability.
What was the average age range?
They take 9 years old and up (I think). Usually, it is 12-16-year-old females.
How do visits/phone calls work?
They were not allowing visitors due to Covid when I was there. There are specific times for phone calls. There are 4 landline/wall phones and a few mobile phones. Adolescents can only use the wall phones and they have to have a staff member dial for them. Whoever they call must have the passcode for the patient or you cannot talk to them. Adults can dial the phones themselves and can use the mobile phones when they have them.
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)?
No electronics allowed. The only exception I have seen is if you use a device for a disability.
For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go out on passes?
No. You can sometimes go outside in a courtyard, but only if they have enough staff (which is very rare, in my two-week stay I went outside once for 15 minutes).
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team?
They have a PHP and an IOP. They require to have outpatient appointments set up before you leave. They will give you lists of providers if you need one.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?
No, but this is not a program worth traveling for
If applicable: How is the program responding to COVID? (Less patients, virtual programming, no visitors, masks, social distancing, etc)
They say you may see a doctor virtually while you’re there, but I personally did not have to. Tables are separated in the eating area. They require masks, but some people refuse to wear them. You have to get a Covid test taken and you have to wait an hour or so before you’re cleared to be with everyone else. No visitors when I was there. You also can’t go down to the cafeteria anymore, partially due to covid.
Other?
A lot of core staff have left this program and it is very, very clear that they have a management problem. The showers are disgusting. There is a huge staff turnover rate and some staff really shouldn’t be working there. Communication between your psychiatrist and floor staff can be extremely frustrating and often my psychiatrist would say they put in an order for something only for floor staff to tell me that they didn’t and they would not call my doctor to confirm. If you are a serious risk to yourself (you mention being suicidal, especially with a plan) They will have you sleep on a recliner in the hallway at night. The lights do not go off and the night staff often talks loudly or laughs all night. When you are already struggling, not being able to sleep is extremely unhelpful.
I wrote this review over a year ago and I just wanted to add that Linden Oaks can be life saving for some people. I have my own issues with things there, but looking back on my review now I just really wanted to clarify that Linden Oaks can be a life saving resource. They are not the great program they once were, but they do provide inpatient ED care, a limited resource in Illinois. I will say, this program is best for people who may be young, who may have had their ED for a short time, or who may just need to stabilize and then are planning to transfer to residential or PHP after.
As a side note, they do have a newer ED therapist who is in recovery herself (she voiced this multiple times in a group setting, so it’s not private information). She can be very direct, but she is good at what she does. They also have a newer dietician and the unit has moved to a different area in the hospital. I believe they also have a new unit manager and as a whole Edward Hospital (who owns Linden Oaks) has merged with multiple other hospitals and become Endeavor Health. I left shortly after they had merged, so I am not sure if any changes have been made with the merger.
Because of the move to a different unit, they no longer have a DVD player (at least as of December 2023). The channels that are acceptable to watch are typically Disney, Nick, FreeForm, and HGTV.
They no longer require masks or COVID tests upon admission. Meals are now held all at one table.
Also, I can confirm the youngest age they take is 12.
They no longer have any sort of level system and they also no longer do ITP.
Also, their PHP/IOP program is now at a completely different location. It is no longer a hallway inside of the hospital, it is now a whole floor in a completely different building.
I hope for someone out there this information may be helpful ?
As an extra side note, you can now get an order from your doctor to bring in your own fidgets (as long as they are deemed safe by the unit staff).
Has anyone been here recently?
Just want a shoutout to ***, ***, ***, ***, ***, ***, ***, and many more people. First Inpatient I ever went to and I just can’t believe how helpful this place was for my recovery. The staff were well trained and knew how to always help in any crisis coming. 10/10 stars and definitely recommend.
* names redacted by admin per site policy
Can someone please post an updated review? I might need to go inpatient as an adolescent due to low hr.
What is a typical day like? Meals? Are the meal plans huge? Are there groups? Level of activity allowed? Avg length of stay? Rate of gain per week? How do they monitor refeeding syndrome, etc? Are most of the patients severely underweight (I am barely underweight and I don’t want to feel alone). What privileges are allowed? Would you recommend this program?
How long are the waiting lists typically, or is there a waiting list?
Last but not least… Linden Oaks or Alexian?
Thank you!!!
I haven’t been to Alexian since 2020, but even then it seemed to be pretty similar to what it was like in 2015 when I was there, so I think most of the stuff is probably the same.
I definitely think that Alexian is a better option than Linden. My experiences at linden oaks haven’t been terrible or anything but they do seem to be a lot more weight based and not really caring as much about the mental aspect. They also seem to look for perfection. I was kicked out of their PHP in 2021 because ‘I wasn’t making enough progress”. Realistically, I was making progress, but they only focused on what I had not been able to do yet. Finally, Alexian is more equipped for medical. They do tubes and IV’s (only if needed obviously), and there is a better overall understanding of the physical health aspects of ed. Plus, they are right next to their medical center.
I am going to answer the rest of the questions specifically about Alexian
In regards to waiting lists, it really depends. I think people usually get in within a few days, no longer than a few weeks. I don’t think it is too insane.
No, most of the patients are not underweight. Obviously it depends on who the patients are while you are there, but in my experience there are patients at every size. Furthermore, both patients and staff tend to not even pay attention to that. Like, it’s understood that an ed is a mind disorder, not a weight disorder, and most of the patients get that as well, so nobody really brings up someone else’s weight or makes fun of anyone or anything.
Alexian’s ED unit is a mixed and specialized unit. It is technically both for self harm, and eating disorders, however majority of the people there tend to be there for an ed. It is also co-ed, again though, in my times there, there has only been a male maybe 2 or 3 times – it tends to be primarily females. Finally, it is both adults and adolescents. Adults and adolescents are separated at meals and just with their dayroom seats in general (like, they are all in the same room, they just are seated at separate tables). Most groups are done with both adults and adolescents, however adolescents also get a school hour. Technically, adults and adolescents are not supposed to hang out with/talk to each other except during groups/treatment based things, but when I was there we all became pretty close and did hang out with each other anyway. That really just depends on how strict the staff are at enforcing it, and if the group of people that is there at the time wants to mingle with each other.
During meals, you are not allowed to read or really do anything that might be a “distraction” like that but they almost always put on the tv for a show or a movie so that we can watch something while we eat. If people wanted/requested sometimes they will play music instead or do table games/talk with each other, but majority of the time while I was there we always had on the TV, which personally I found really helpful. You also have to “sit with it” for your meals/snacks. Like if I couldn’t eat or couldn’t finish my tray, that’s fine, (I mean it’s not really fine, but they are not going to get pissed at you or anything), but you still have to sit with it in front of you. You can’t just like walk out of the dayroom and ignore your food. Again, it depends on who is there while you are but in my experience both the staff and the patients are very supportive.
I do not know what their rate of gain each week is, but I am pretty sure if you are there to weight restore they will not tell you how much you are gaining/if you are gaining. They do not tell you your weight at all, regardless.
Being that they are pretty equipped medically, they can keep an eye on refeeding pretty well. Everyone gets vitals every day, and they do labs (which they will likely do more than once if they are watching for refeeding) and some people are put on blood sugar checks. So they do have things that they do to make sure you are safe.
I would recommend this program. You are allowed to bring your own hygiene products (i do believe that they have to be alcohol-free), you can bring your own clothes (no strings, and no leggings. hoods are allowed though). You can bring things like books, coloring books, puzzle books, etc. (which I highly recommend)
I am going to try and run through the general structure of the program now.
When you are admitted you are assigned a psychiatrist, a therapist, a dietician, and a case manager. You will also see a medical doctor. You usually see your psychiatrist every day (aside from weekends, but they usually have someone step in to still check in on you). You see you therapist I believe 2-3x a week. You see your dietician 1-2x a week, or as needed if your meal plan is continually being changed. I think you see your case manager 1 time a week?
The days are kind of perfect in my opinion with how busy they are. They keep us busy with groups and stuff and there is still leisure time, but its not to the point where it’s boring. Except weekends, where there is more free time, and why I recommend bringing books and stuff to do (no spirals in notebooks).
You wake up at 6 if I remember correctly every morning for blind weights. Then you can go back to sleep for a bit, or do hygiene or whatever. Breakfast is at 7:30 I believe, and then rooms are locked. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all 45 minutes, and snacks are either 15 or 30 (15 I think). If you don’t finish a meal or snack, you receive an ensure supplement which you have 15 minutes to drink. Again, there are potential consequences of not eating in regards to what your treatment team wants to do, but you do not like get in trouble or yelled at or shamed if you are unable to complete. There are 3 meals, and 3 snacks a day. Different groups that are held throughout the day are check-ins, process groups, art therapy, music therapy, movement therapy, meal planning, body image, and more. You are not allowed to exercise or move too much, but we do have movement therapy, which can be things like yoga or stretching and stuff, so that is definitely nice. One of the process groups each day is held by one of the therapists, and it is just a general process group. I believe there is a check-in after each meal which is where you check in with how you are feeling both physically and emotionally after eating. Around 3 or 3:30 is school time for adolescents, and while adolescents go do school, adults get free time where they can either chill in the day room or our rooms are opened for 30 minutes and you can hang out in there, take a nap, etc. There is also a spirituality group which is nice because it is not religious, it is really just spiritual and tends to be really calming. If you do have religious needs though you are able to request to talk to the chaplain one on one.
You have a roommate, but that’s not usually a big deal.
While I was there, it was in the middle of covid and quarantine, so there was no visiting, we got extra phone time instead. I am not sure if that has changed since.
As an adolescent for phone time, the staff will dial out for you and if someone calls for you there is a code they have to know (which will be given to your guardian and they can give it to whomever). Your guardian will also have to put on the list who you are allowed to talk to. Like if your grandma calls and she knows the code, but she wasn’t added to your list, she still won’t be able to talk to you if that makes sense.
Bedtime is like 9 or 9:30, and you don’t have to actually be asleep at that time or anything just in your room (once you are finished with hygiene).
Overall, I definitely think it is a good unit, and I would recommend it. I think I answered all your questions, but if I didn’t or if you have any more, feel free to ask them!
P.S – just so you aren’t too surprised – you can shower unattended for the most part (unless you are a safety risk or something), but bathroom usage is monitored. You can go when you wake up or right before bed/during the night without being monitored, but throughout the day you are. There are also designated times to use the bathroom, but if it’s an emergency or something it’s usually not a problem for them to let you go then.
Do you select meals and how is food
Does anyone know if Linden Oaks typically has a waitlist?
They told me to come be assessed in person, but I’m from out of state and would hate to be assessed and have to turn back home because of a wait list. Also, are they slow with refeeding?
What %IBW do they discharge.
hey Cheyanne, I don’t know your personal situation but Linden Oaks is not a facility I’d recommend traveling out of state for. They do typically have immediate openings for inpatient (mainly if you present to the Edwards-Elmhurst ER) but I have no clue about their other programing availability.
I would definitely encourage looking into local options instead if they’re available
Thank you so much for the response. Unfortunately I have no resources around me and am in major need of intapient treatment :(.
Is it a decent program?
I totally understand and relate to the struggle to find local care.
I had a very bad experience at Linden (there were some extenuating circumstances surrounding it, so I might not be the best source), but I didn’t get a lot of support. For about half my stay I was forced to eat meals away from my friends, alone, without any staff at a table facing the wall.
They didn’t communicate very well and ultimately I was able to refuse a lot more than should have been tolerated.
There was also a lot of violent outbursts from patients on the unit (which totally depends on the population there at the time, but staff did not handle those outbursts in a very therapeutic matter, so that was a stressor). Groups were strictly psychoeducational and spaced out in such a way that there was a lot of time to be stuck in my head.
Vitals were taken twice a day and blood every morning, but they didn’t monitor symptoms very well. They were supposed to be monitoring my blood sugar levels every 4 hours and they were only checked once.
I think the program will do in a pinch, but you might want to look into Alexian Brothers instead? It’s in the same area geographically and I’ve heard better things about their ED program.
Wow that’s awful. Yeah Cheyanne, check out Alexian! They will also make you come in person for your assessment, their set up is that all assessments are done through a 24/7 walk-in mental health triage building, which is annoying, but it also means that they can immediately admit people much more easily. I would recommend calling ahead to ask what times tend to be the slowest as far as walk-in assessments go, and time your arrival for one of those time ranges. For example, at the end of the work day they are usually pretty busy, but in the morning they aren’t. I think also if you call the ED department directly they can do an initial phone assessment, I know they are able to do that. But if they think you are in a medically risky position they will want you to come in so they can do a full medical assessment. The nice thing about the way they do it is that at least you don’t have to get a ton of bloodwork and stuff done before getting there or being able to admit, because they do it all there (Alexian is connected to the AMITA Health medical system and is right next to a medical hospital, with labs and all).
Here is the AMITA Alexian ED program direct number (I think this is the outpatient number so they may only be there M-F?): (847) 755-8058
And the main behavioral health intake number that answers questions about programming and helps coordinate assessments (24/7): (847) 882-1600
I went here in December 2020. Program is very small due to COVID – 19. I was told the first 7 days I’d have my own room because of social distancing and coming from a COVID-19 hotspot. It’s really dumb because for your first 4-5 days (5 for me) I was made to eat my meals in the hallway where the front desk BHA and nurse would just sit and pretty much watch you. The food was actually decent but I was on a meal plan that was higher and I spoke with the dietician about this so I was eating about half of my meal plan. (I came from a PHP) I was made to come here because of my SI. SO, meal completion was not an issue for me. I had 3 meals and 3 snacks and I’d still be hungry. My exchanges were all messed up which led me to spiral in PHP and being home I am struggling because my stomach can’t handle the food anymore (This is my fault) Overall I give LO a 3/5 stars.
I do not appreciate as soon as I got there my phone was basically snatched, and they almost lost my juul.
The schedule was pretty basic (it was really awkward though cause I was the only adult so I was with some 12,14,15 year olds which made me quite sad and I of course told them they want to enjoy their older years). Anyways the schedule varied. We were woken at 6 am for vitals and if you were orthostatic (which I was due to the complete meal plan switch) I was made to drink gatorade – Also the first 24 hours ur on staff watch so they watch you do everything and you have to get your clothes, linens, and shower curtain approved by your psychiatrist I had Dr.****. He was actually very funny and kind. He made sure all of that was taken care of. They let you “sleep” or get ready. Breakfast was at 8 am. I didn’t like how we were basically given an hour to finish meals. I sat in a hallway and stared at the wall. I did like the after meal “process” We read off a sheet and I just liked how it was done. It made me feel better after having eaten. I was on the “high” meal plan so I had a snack 2 hours later (their snacks are only 2 exchanges – mine at ERC had been 3-5) so that whole system was messed up. Luckily you got to choose snack. At 10:00 ish the adolescents have school. They let me sit and watch TV. After my first day, I used this time to make phone calls. You have to stay in the day room all day. They distribute meds well. I liked the nursing staff. **** was very kind. I did not like all the Gatorade though. They had Ensure Enlive as a supplement, but as being at ERC w gi issues I was supplementing w boost pudding, so they let me supp w a magic cup. Lunch was at 12 and after that meal process happened again, we’d have a process group which sometimes the therapists were late and we spent it sitting in the day room talking. Art therapy was really fun here! I highly recommend the art therapist. She taught us cool painting tips and I had a lot of fun doing the art work. You meet w ur team daily. Then at 2pm you have menu planning. You circle your menu based on exchanges. You can’t order the same thing in a row on the same day. I guess they want you to have variety. Food is brought down on trays (due to COVID) Then 2:30 was another snack and we’d have more groups. Dinner was at 5. After that we’d process and sometimes DBT. Then phone time for everyone. Adults can call anyone just dial 8 first. Adolescents have to have their caller call in and a staff connects you to them via phone. We spent our evenings playing games or watching tv. I watched a lot of full house, then night meds. Rooms opened at 8:30 you can get ready for bed or just chill. I usually would shower and then go to sleep at 9 due to having to get up so early. The beds were okay. The pillows suck. I had to use one from the other bed for extra support.
They will tube you if you don’t finish. – Also this is an IP but they want you to be medically stable. We had a pt who had to be sent to the ER due to health complications which I can not disclose due to HIPPA. They do give you plenty of time to finish supplement. You kind of just tell staff if you don’t wanna finish it there isn’t really a time limit.
Some of the BHA’s treated me like a child because I was an adult. I got into trouble for some things that were not even a huge deal and they tried to lecture me. I told them I was not going to be spoken to like that because I was an adult they really should have it separate due to multiple factors but the people I met there were lovely. I did not like some staff. Treated me like a small child rather than addressing me like an adult.
The PCP here also messed w my medications and that was a mess. Now my GI tract is still suffering. I also don’t think housekeeping cleans very well because after my stay I got strep throat and I was very sick and had to be isolated. Overall I’d say Linden Oaks is good for a short stay
*Names removed by admin per site policy
I was told that they don’t do refeeding support or even check labs. They’ll send you to the medical hospital for that. Is that true? And does anyone know someone who was admitted to the medical hospital for that?
They check labs
When were you there: February 2018 (Inpatient)
How many patients on average? I believe their unit has 8-10 ish beds but they may allow maybe 2 or 3 more people if they board on other units. When I was there there were about 10 patients.
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined.
Males and females were combined for all aspects of programming. While I was there there were a small amount of guys, but the majority are usually female. Adult males are not allowed to sleep on the unit though and have to board on another unit. Adolescent males can stay on the unit at night.
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc?
I saw the medical doctor once during my stay, but it honestly depends on your current medical problems. Some people saw their doctor multiple times a week. You see your psychiatrist everyday for about 10 minutes or so. Sometimes more or less. I think you meet with your therapist 2-3 times a week but they’re always around if you need them! I met with the dietician 2 times, but it is mostly need based. They too are always around to answer questions and they eat some meals with you.
What is the staff ratio to patients?
There were usually 2 nurses at all times, 1-2 BHA’s (behavioral health staff) depending on the amount of patients there may be more. And I think a unit secretary?
What sort of therapies are used? (DBT, CBT, EMDR) etc?
Some groups were DBT, process group, art therapy, expressive (like stretching, playing games, etc), nutrition, med ed, and like skills groups. There are some others but I can’t think of them. Those are the major ones.
Describe the average day:
You wake up around 6:30 to get vitals and weights done. From there you can go back to sleep until breakfast at 8 or get ready during that time. There is also a level system that determines certain privileges. Once you get past red, you can go to the cafeteria to pick out your food but before that you pick from your menu. After breakfast you have some groups and then lunch, more groups, free time, dinner, visiting (M,W, F, Sat, and Sun) or phone time (every day), and then snack and sleep! There are two other snacks too but everyone is different!
What were meals like?
Everyone sits at a table together with 2-3 staff also at the table. Sometimes they may play games or just have conversations or music. This is very dependent on the patients though. It can be a negative or positive environment depending on how motivated the patients are to recover. Behaviors aren’t always noticed by staff but patients ALWAYS know. And most will frown upon it.
What sorts of food were available or served?
It was hospital food but actually not too bad! They make their food there and there are multiple options every meal. There are also staples they have everyday like pizza and chicken tenders. Vegetarians have options every day too. Not just tofu, but definitely pasta based. I think you can get tofu a certain number of days of the week. You can also get salad too but they do monitor that.
Did they supplement? How did that system work?
They will supplement with Enlive (a form of Ensure) based on how much you ate.
What is the policy of not complying with meals?
You pretty much get supplemented. But if it becomes dangerous you will be tubed. They’ll talk to you about it first though!
Are you able to be a vegetarian?
Yes, they are very understanding! I don’t really think they deal with vegans but I could be wrong.
What privileges are allowed?
Not much. If you’re on a certain level you can shower at night, have less bathroom monitoring, and you can go to the cafeteria. I think you get extra phone time too.
Does it work on a level system?
Yes, barely anyone gets past the first two levels though. The only major changes are the ones listed above. I think you level up after like 3 or so days of complying with meals and general rules?
What was your favorite group?
Art therapy for sure. The therapist is very kind and knowledgeable. She meets you wherever you’re at.
What did you like the most?
The patients I was with. This can be very very hit or miss though.
What did you like the least?
Patients who blatantly broke rules. Struggling is one thing but breaking rules just to break them is another. Also weekends have a lot of free time which can be good or bad depending on what you make it.
Would you recommend this program?
Yes, especially their inpatient. It has changed a lot over the past few years. There’s better staff, more groups, more structure, and a smaller unit. Definitely be prepared for free time at night though!
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
We had one group where we were allowed to stretch sometimes and there is sometimes a movement group on the weekend. Overall it is pretty limited.
What did people do on weekends?
FREE TIME. There were a few groups on Saturday but almost none on Sunday. Some people napped, some colored, some watched tv or read. It is really whatever you prefer.
Do you get to know your weight?
Not that I’m aware of.
How fast is the weight gain process?
I’m not sure. It honestly depends. I didn’t have to go through that while I was there.
What was the average length of stay?
Maybe a week minimum to like 2 weeks. Some were there longer if they were really medically unstable though. It’s also very dependent on what insurance will cover.
What was the average age range?
Between 14-50. But I would say probably the average is 16-27 maybe?
How do visits/phone calls work?
Visitors are allowed at night on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and in the afternoon on the weekend. There are no visiting hours on Tuesday or Thursday. But there is phone time every night and during the afternoon on weekends. There are more patients than phones though! Ask staff if you need to use one and somebody has been on one for a while.
Are you able to go out on passes?
Definitely not.
What kind of aftercare do they provide?
They have a php and iop program and a new iop program for binge eating only. They also have some support groups. Before you discharge your team will come up with a plan!
Do they help you set up an OP treatment team?
Yes! You have to do this before discharging. Unless you already have one.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?
Not anything that I know of.
Other?
This program, like many others, is very much what you make of it. You will get out of it what you put in!
Please see my updated review of Linden Oaks. A lot has changed. Not necessarily for the better.
When were you there: May 24 – July 15, 2017
Describe the average day: The overnight tech brings the vitals machine into your room around 6 AM and you go get weighed. Breakfast doesn’t start until 8, so you had free time to sleep or chill in the day room or whatever. Breakfast was from 8-9, then you did check in sheets. The first group started at 9:30, another one at 10:30. People on weight gain plans sometimes have a 10:30 snack. Lunch from 12 to 1. Process group was supposed to be at 1 but it usually started between 1:15 and 1:30. During the school year the adolescents have tutoring from 2:30-3:30 and everyone eats snack at 3. During school time all of us who were over 18 just watched Grey’s Anatomy or something. Dinner from 5-6, and then visiting from 6:15-7:15. Wrap up group and PM snack were whenever a BHC was free and the rest was free time until lights out at 10.
What were meals like? Your meal plan is based on exchanges for different macronutrients. You start out really small and then get exchanges added fairly quickly until you’re either at your gain or maintenance plan. There’s actually a good amount of variety and it is high quality for hospital food — it was on a 2 week seasonal cycle and I was there for 2 months so I got a bit sick of it but usually people fare well enough. Everybody sits together in the day room and eats with a couple staff members. Once you get to the second level (Orange) you are allowed to go down to the cafeteria and pick your own food; everyone else just has to fill out a menu. You are supposed to only get 45 minutes to eat but people would regularly stay at the table for over an hour. Everybody was also supposed to stay seated until the last person was finished but they ignored that rule too and staff make you feel bad if you’re a really slow eater. They call out table behaviors really fast but if they have a favorite patient they let some ridiculous stuff slide. Snacks were completely unsupervised with no time limits.
What sorts of food were available or served? Every day there was pizza, chicken tenders, and salads (you can only get one salad a day). 3 days a week you could have a sandwich like a burger or a grilled cheese. There were also 2 daily entrees like turkey and fish plus one vegetarian option (usually frozen lasagna or something). There were veggies, rice, fries, etc. too plus some basic stuff for other exchanges. Desserts were available, plus you could have them for snacks. I recommend the cobbler. If you didn’t order snacks from the caf you got crackers or a granola bar with a fruit or juice. No variety and they always forget to stock the cabinets. They will try to convince you to stop being vegetarian and they outright ban veganism.
Did they supplement? How did that system work? Yes, they use sliding scale supplements (Ensure Enlive – strawberry, chocolate, or vanilla) if you don’t complete your meal. You might also get extra Enlive at snacks if you need to gain, or you can get Benecalorie to put in your milk at meals.If you are extremely non-compliant with your meal plan they will talk about tube feeding as supplementation but they are really very fair and won’t jump the gun on it.
What privileges are allowed? Going to the caf to get your tray and going outside (but it’s level dependent). You don’t get to go outside unless weather and staff permit but they have a lovely courtyard you go out to.
Does it work on a level system? Yes. Blue is admission level, you’re on it for the first 24 hours and you are on 24 hour bathroom monitoring. Then you automatically move to red, which is 18 hour bathroom monitoring. To get to Orange you have to complete all your meals and supplements for 72 hours, attend groups, and stay safe. Orange patients get to go off-unit to the courtyard or cafeteria and get an extra phone time in the morning before breakfast. Green is the last level, you need all the Orange requirements plus a discharge plan. You get another extra phone time at 9 in the evening.
What sort of groups do they have? Art, spirituality, nutrition, body image, anxiety, skills, process, rec therapy, and wrap up. That’s pretty much it. The rest of the time you’re hanging out with other patients, eating, or meeting with your treatment team.
What was your favorite group? Body image and process, people are usually pretty vulnerable and I always got a lot out of it
What did you like the most? The staff are amazing and the meal plan is reasonable/easy to understand.
What did you like the least? They cut out some groups and now there is way too much down time, you really have to be accountable and prepared to occupy yourself.
Would you recommend this program? Absolutely, it saved my life as well as giving me hope that someday I can recover. By inpatient standards it is extremely comfortable and relaxed. It’s an awesome program for anyone with an ED — there isn’t any cliqueyness between people with different disorders and they can accommodate every complication from self injury to refeeding syndrome.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed? Everyone is on exercise restriction. If they notice you stand up or walk around too much they redirect you, if you’re noncompliant with that you get put in a wheelchair. The rec therapist does stretching groups around one time a week with everyone who is medically stable enough to participate. Sometimes they let you have secret nighttime dance parties. 🙂
What did people do on weekends? Weekends are torture. There is only one group in the morning and the rest of the day is visitation and down time. Get your napping and homework done or you’ll lose what’s left of your sanity.
Do you get to know your weight? No. But if you ask they will tell you whether you’re trending up, down or maintaining. They will also sometimes tell you how much left you have to gain before you can leave but you never know what you actually weigh.
How fast is the weight gain process? Standard 1-3 pounds a week, maybe a little on the slower side compared to other places.
What was the average length of stay? For inpatient it’s probably 2-3 weeks, then around 8 weeks in PHP/IOP. I was in inpatient for 2 months but I had unusual medical and discharge circumstances going on, that’s pretty rare and you probably won’t have to worry too much if you do what they ask of you.
What was the average age range? I saw 11-70. Most people were probably between 15 and 30, though. They split up the adolescents and adults for certain groups.
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an OP treatment team? They have inpatient, PHP, and IOP at the main hospital. I have never done outpatient here but I’m assuming they won’t discharge you without planning an OP team. Almost everyone in inpatient goes to PHP or residential (they closed Arabella House, but they refer nationwide — usually to ERC or Timberline Knolls).
How many IP beds? 12 beds are on unit, but it rarely gets that full. Usually the census floats around 6-10, though I’ve seen 14. This hospital will board patients from other units if they don’t have room and sometimes you have one as a roommate. .
This is the best inpatient program I’ve ever done. It is so much better than anything else available in the Midwest and I am really glad I had the experience of going there.
When were you there: 11/01/17-11/06/17
Describe the average day: vitals start at 06:00AM, and after that you can either go back to sleep or shower & get dressed for the day or do whatever until breakfast at 08:00AM. after breakfast there may or may not be some kind of group. the schedule for the program says the day is going to be packed full of groups (nutrition, experiential, expressive, etc.), but often we just straight up wouldn’t have them (with no explanation) and would be left to occupy our time with no clinical intervention for hours on end. I believe this was due to insufficient &/or inefficient staffing, and this is a huge problem (it’s why I discharged myself AMA after only a few days) because it’s hard enough to be going through the recovery process physically/mentally/emotionally as it is, but to be left with nothing therapeutic to do (other than self-directed things like reading a recovery-oriented book or workbook, or journaling) is incredibly anxiety-provoking, not to mention you feel like your brain is melting and that you are wasting your money being there. anyway. at 10:00AM you have snack, after that there may or may not be some groups, and then at 12:00PM is lunch. after lunch you may or may not have groups, 02:30PM is snack time again, after which you have process group. then the adolescent patients go to “school” or whatever if it is a weekday, and the adults have yet more free time. eventually at 05:00PM it’s dinner time, more free time after that, snack at 08:15PM, and then wrap-up group where each patient goes over a positive for their day, whether or not they met their goal for the day, and setting a goal for the next day. finally at 09:00PM they unlock bedrooms, and lights out is at 10:30PM.
What were meals like?
when I was here as a teenager in 2008, you would all walk down to the cafeteria and choose food items to fulfill your meal plan exchanges and eat there. but now since they swapped units with the chemical dependency program, all meals are taken on the unit in the day room. the night before (in wrap-up group) you make your choices for meals the following day on a menu that they give you, and it is checked by a BHA to make sure you’re meeting all your exchanges. then at mealtime, the trays are brought in by staff. you have 45 minutes to eat, but they are actually pretty nice about giving you a couple extra minutes to try and finish if you are struggling, which is really nice, to be honest.
What sorts of food were available or served? typical hospital food but honestly it was a little bit better (then again maybe I was just really malnourished lmao)
Did they supplement? How did that system work? yes, with Ensure Plus.. they said it was the equivalent of what you didn’t finish eating, but it almost always looked like it was more than that.
What privileges are allowed? phone time once or twice a day, depending (see below); cable tv
Does it work on a level system? they do now, which doesn’t really make any sense as it’s an acute care facility. you are on blue level for the first 24 hours (24/7 supervision, no priveleges). the red level, which is essentially the same thing. on orange level you get an additional hour of phone time in the morning, you can take showers at night too (not just in the morning), and you can go to the cafeteria to select your food at the time of the meal (but you still eat on the unit with everyone else). I don’t remember what additional benefits you get on levels brown and green… maybe going out into the courtyard outside once in a while or something, but I heard from other people that they never let anyone do that anyway.
What sort of groups do they have? process, experiential, expressive (art), spirituality, wrap-up, and occasionally community
What was your favorite group? process
What did you like the most? the staff is really kind and empathetic and makes it seem like they really care about you and want you to get better and have a good life
What did you like the least? the free time is overwhelming, it’s just too much
Would you recommend this program? it’s better than the alternative IP in the area (Alexian Brothers), both in terms of facilities and staff
What level of activity or exercise was allowed? none, which I think is a mistake.. some yoga or light stretching once in a while is really good for anxiety and depression.. I myself and other patients frequently would end up standing for long periods of time or constantly fidgeting due to excess energy
What did people do on weekends? absolutely nothing… no groups… lol it’s was brutal.. we watched “Harry Potter”, tried to play some games & do some jigsaw puzzles, coloring pages, one girl was braiding everyone’s hair… but yeah it was really dull and hard to get through
Do you get to know your weight? oh heck no
How fast is the weight gain process? very fast.. they add an exchange to every meal pretty much every day you’re there as far as I know (if you need to gain)
What was the average length of stay? I believe 7-15 days… last time I was there for 12, this time I discharged early after 5 days due to lack of clinical intervention / therapy, otherwise I would have probably ended up staying for a couple of weeks honestly
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an OP treatment team? yes
How many IP beds? How many patients in PHP or IOP? 12 beds for inpatient but most of the time I was there we had patients from the adolescent ward boarding with us… I don’t know how many IOP or PHP patients at a time because they no longer program with IP like they did in the past
Do you get caffeine/coffee?
Yes you can have caffeinated in the morning and decaf at night.
Can someone provide a full update on how the adult inpatient program is?
Like another commenter I’d also very much apreciate a review of this unit. I’m looking into Lyndin Oaks and Arebela house for a friend and would love a current review. It sounds good so far based on comparing it to other psych units I’ve been to/ heard about.
If you have specific questions you would like directly answered by Linden Oaks/Arabella House staff, they are members of the professional forum and can give you the most updated information possible, I encourage you to check it out and will notify them to get your answers/concerns.
I was please hoping someone could do a full review who has been there recently, or answer some questions???? This is the closest place to where I live, but I just get scared because I feel like I don’t know it as well as other places that are farther away. I’ve had my eating disorder for a very very long time, have been to treatment many times…. and I just want to get better. So the easiest thing would be is to just go to Linden Oaks and get my shit together. But I have no clue if it’s a good program??? Please, anyone, help?
– Meals. I get intimidated because I hear the words “cafeteria food.” What would be examples of meals? Is there only hamburgers, pizza, pasta, sandwiches? I’ve heard there are “2 hot meals” or something available, what would those be like? I think I’ve been used to a chef cooking at other places, and my ED screams when it hears that I’m going to be gaining weight on hospital food…. I know, it’s the illness speaking. But I’d still please like any input?
-Snacks. What are options for snacks, is there a list? Do we choose at the time? Any examples? Do they get bigger as your weight gain needs to vamped up?
-Are supplements used for weight gain? Or does the meal plan increase.
-Meal and Snack times. How long do you have to eat? Are you watched like a hawk and the clock is stared at, or is there some respect/gentleness.
-Therapy. Did you like the therapists? I’ve been told to go to Linden Oaks for mechanical help, like to learn to just eat my three meals. But therapy is so vital, I feel like hopefully I’d get to the bottom of some issues as well?
-Groups. How were groups, helpful, beneficial? Sometimes they can be boring or a waste of time or repetitive…
-Free time. Are the days pretty structured? Usually evenings have a lot of free time. And I know weekends can be long and boring. Are there outings??
-Exercise. Is there any movement incorporated at all?
-Smoking. Please say it’s allowed, I heard it’s banned now.
-Gum??
-Caffeine?
-laptops/phones?
-I heard knitting isn’t allowed anymore??? Hmm.
-Visiting hours?
I understand it would be a shorter stint at Linden Oaks then most places, because it is IP. I’m just so damn scared. Maybe it’s because I’m serious this time? But gosh I still have so many questions and anxieties.
If you answer this, bless you!! Thank you!!
I wouldn’t ordinarily do this, but I’m trying to bump my questions…. If you have gone recently and could answer the review, please? Thank you!!
Okay so i was at Linden Oaks In 2014 for almost all of April. I was first at the Children’s Hospital in St.Louis for 10 days, then sent to Linden Oaks in Chicago when i was a little stabilized. They were alright, the ages ranged from 12 to 27 while i was there. I do think though that quite a bit has changed since the last review.
Okay so there is absoloutely no smoking allowed. If you’re a smoker you rely on a nicotine patch or a piece of nicorete gum every hour.
Excersize Restrictions: I was in a wheel chair almost the entire time because of what horrible condition i was in. But there’s pretty much no excersize, except some girls are allowed to stretch in the morning if they aren’t orthostatic.
“ITP”; I don’t know if this is a new thing, but they’ve started a “program” called individualized treatment program/ITP where you are put alone at a table all day and you cannot talk to anyone. They put me on this because they said i wasn’t improving, it was absloutly horrible and isolated me. I hated it.
Patients: I did make alot of freinds while i was there, but to be honest it was a little cliquey and the staff was meaner to those who had more trouble eating. {like me} because they associated it with not trying.
I may go back again soon, though i’m scared because they basically almost kicked me out during my last stay because i had to have ensure supplements alot and they said i had a mood disorder and they were threatening to put me on the adolescent ward instead of EDP because they said that was my real problem. {which is a 1000% lie} So i will only return if i am for sure going to be on EDP.
Vegetarianism: I’m a vegetarian and they hate it there. You are basically left with tofu and cheese pizza everyday. Which you can only have tofu once a day -_-. Except on i think thursdays, tuesdays, and saturdays, you can have a grilled cheese or boca burger.. -_- yucks
Could someone please do an updated review? Maybe someone who was there last year or this year?? Please?
Stay: 2013
Schedule: vitals at 630, breakfast at 8 (you can wake anytime as long as your ready by 8), groups, lunch at 12, groups, snack (if scheduled), free time, dinner at 4, visiting hours, and then snack (if scheduled). Then there’s a “day review” with small snack and free time until lights out at about 10.
Groups: yoga, gym, art, process, relaxation, individual, spiritual
Positives: the food was good considering the circumstances. They had pizza, burgers, chicken, veggie burgers, sandwiches (but only Tuesdays and Thursdays), and hot entrees as well as bagels, Cheerios, granola, cinnamon buns, muffins, fresh fruit, bananas, apples/oranges, steel cut oats, whole grain oatmeal, etc. I also enjoyed the art group and yoga
Cons: most of the staff was nice, but there were exeptions. The RD is alright, but they encourage “challenge food” Tuesdays in which hummus, pies, cakes, etc are served as a snack. This may be challenging to some, although I enjoyed it.
Setting: there were two beds per room, about 12 IUP at a time. Each was a dorm setting complete with a dresser and bathroom as well as a desk and a bedside stand. The group rooms are nice with windows, and the main room has a kitchenette, dinning table, and TV with two comfy couches.
Other: your allowed to smoke; meal time is one hour; and you can select your own food.
Good luck with your recovery and God Bless! Remember: you are beautiful, so care for yourself and do what you need to recover!! 🙂
Anyone there recently that could do a review/answer some questions?
What kind of things do they allow you to do during free time? Specifically, do they allow knitting?
What is staff like in terms of being supportive, understanding, helpful? Also, how much individual therapy is there?
Is the unit that ED patients are on just for ED patients or is it mixed?
Pros and cons of the program?
This is a late reply but hopefully better than never! I have been to Linden Oaks three times within the part year and a half. During free time most people watch TV or color (mainly the adolescents). A lot of people bring books to read or they use the time to talk on the hospital phones. Knitting used to be allowed there, along with bracelet making, but it is no longer allowed.
Staff there is alright. Personally, I had trouble connecting to any of the therapists. But the BHA’S there are really nice if you open up to them. If you want the support, you have to reach out for it. Most of the time they will not reach out to you. Inpatients see their therapists 3 times a week I believe? The more “critical” patients in terms of depression usually see the therapists almost everyday.
The unit is just ED patients, split between the adolescent and adult groups. But if they have kids on the adolescent wing with an ED they sometimes go to a few groups or end up transferring over. The addicts (sorry I don’t remember the official name!) are connected to the wing and walk through it to go to the cafeteria.
Pros: excellent BHAs, going to the cafeteria to pick your own food that follows your meal plan, dieticians know what they are doing, access to TV, access to courtyard if weather permits, lots of visiting hours.
Cons: suited to treat anorexia with little focus on bulimia, nurses treat you like you are anorexic and don’t care if you aren’t, WAY too much free time,
Honestly, if you can afford it, go here to get stabilized and then go to their group home called Arabella house. There’s a lot more freedom here and you will get the help you need as long as you are open. Linden Oaks is a hospital setting, while arabella prepares you for home life.
I was wondering if someone could please elaborate about meals?
How long do you have. What foods are available. Do they call you out at the meal itself for using rituals or eating oddly. Are the meals and snacks good….. Can you smoke? 🙂 Thank you so much in advance. Any details or opinions would be so appreciated.
If I remember correctly, you have 45 minutes to finish a meal. If everyone finishes before that, you can all leave. Otherwise, everyone stays the 45 minutes and whoever hasn’t finished is given ensure.
Smoking was allowed. Sometimes the smokers would leave a meal early, when all the smokers had finished, to go out for a smoke break.
This info is current as of my last stay, in early 2010.
Amber wrote the most recent review. It was great, and I appreciated it. But I was wondering if things are the same as then? Her review was in 2005. I might be looking into going, and I’ve heard such mixed extremes…. Anyone have input please??
jennifer-
the top post is from 2012, see if that helps. but as usual new reviews are always helpful as well!!!! hope that gives you something to go on.
When were you there: I was there for 2 weeks in July 2004 and from Nov- Feb 2005
How many patients on average? All different ages! Majority the age range is 14-25
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined. Yes, treatment includes both, mostly females though. Groups are combined.
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc? Medical doctors make rounds in the am about every two weeks, depending on your condition. You get to meet with your psychiatrist about 2 times per week and therapists about 3 times per week. Nutritionists meetings are around once per week, unless you request a visit with her for a question. The staff did spend what seemed like a lot of time with patients.
What is the staff ratio to patients? about 3 to 1
What sort of therapies are used? (DBT, CBT, EMDR) etc? Mostly CBT. There was also pet therapy visits (my favorite), and art therapy. Equine therapy for OPs only!
Describe the average day: Vitals at around 630 am. You could choose to go back to bed awhile before breakfast at 8. Then meds and adolescents were given an hour for school. Stretching after breakfast, then group, snack and weights at 1030. Group until lunch at noon. Then, group and snack at 230. Dinner is at 5. Then, end of the day process group. Then inpatients go back to the unit and have free time. Snack is at 830 then lights out at around 10.
What were meals like? The food was OK. I felt like there wasn’t a whole lot of variety since the meals rotate every two weeks or so. You get an option of two selections and can write some food in. Vegetarian diets are not encourgaed, nor is there a lot of variety for vegetarians (usually a lot of pizza, veggie burgers, grilled cheese and pasta occasionally). Portions seemed larger for vegetarian options. The meals go by an exchange system, which may seem overwhelming at times for those that need to gain, but usually they assign ensures at snack times for those with higher intake needs. They are not that strict about time limits with meals but they set aside an hour for you to finish. They will have someone sit with you if you take longer then will eventually offer a supplement if you cant finish. there are alot of breakfast options, such as cereal, toast, bagels, yogurt, milk, and hot selections such as oatmeal, pancakes, and eggs/hard boiled eggs. Lunch items include cold sandwiches, grilled chicken, veggie burgers, pizza, hamburgers, potatoes. They did not serve main course salads though; there is a salad bar but ED patients just get their veggie/fat exchanged from that section.
Dinner options included fish, grilled chicken, pizza, pasta, veggie burgers,…not much different from lunch. They dont encourage rotating food selections though. Snack selections include: fresh fruit, dry cereal, granoloa bars, raisens, fruit juice, crackers. A dessert option (lemon bar, cookies, chocolate moose, brownie, cookies, pudding) can also be added to your meal plan at lunch, dinner or both. …..every wednesday is fear food day, where a fear food is selected (ice cream, chips and dip, cake, cookies. In the summer they went to dairy queen for blizzards). They do not care if you particularly dont like that kind of fear food; however, you can recommend a fear food that you have not allowed yourself to try for a long time and they may do something special for you that day :)For me, Ive always loved ice cream but never allowed myself to enjoy it, so they set up an ice cream cart for everyone that day! Also, coffee is allowed at each meal, just no splenda, equal, and sweet and low or diet soda.
Did they supplement? How did that system work? They did supplement with ensure/ensure+ if you did not finsih your meals. They determine how much you ate of your meal. if you ate half then one ensure and 0% then two ensures. They are strict on everyone finishing their plates, or they get some amount of supplement. Supplements (ensure or ensure +)are also given at snacks for those that have big meal plans. If you continue to refuse the supplements than they will most likely want to tube feed you.
What privelages are allowed? There are not that many privilages available since the inpatient program is short term. You can use hair dryers and straightners, they just have to be checked out. You can also knit during non-group times (apparantly our group was knitting too much during group, sorry everyone)! Not sure about how the cell phone policy goes now but you can use the main phone after groups around 7). There is also a pilates group offered one day a week after lunch. You must be compliant with meal plan and not in critical condition in order to participate in this group. You are given light exercise privilages based on psychiatrist’s discretion. They do have an outside gated area, where you can get some fresh air/smoke break when you are on the unit. Just ask a therapist to take you out!
Does it work on a level system? NO
How do you earn privelages? Through being compliant with your meal plan
What sort of groups do they have? All kinds, they sometimes seperate adolescents and adults in certain groups. They have CBT, Ask the doctor group (My favorite), Trauma/coping, Process groups, body image. They also have ANAD every Monday night (that can get realllly repetitive. Also, recovery night is the first Monday of each month (someone speaks about their recovery from their ED). Families are invited to this one.
What was your favorite group? Ask the doctor (this is an informative group where the doctor educates you of how eating disorders affect you physically). I found it very interesting. You can also ask questions.
What did you like the most? I liked how passionate and dedicated the therapists were in helping patients. The therapists on the unit were so nice and understanding;nursing assitants in the am were very cheerful! I liked how they used exchanges and not cal counts (thats never good for anyone!.Also, great aftercare!
I like how they do involve light exercise in their program to show patients how to exercise normally. Also the availability of the psychiatrists/ therapists. Free time at night and meeting life-long friends.
What did you like the least? The amount of time they kept people inpatient; gets very repetitive after awhile. Alot of cliques. Some favoritism shown by some staff to patients who were doing well. Power-struggles and negative attitude toward those who were struggling.Not alot of food variety. annoying how staff appeasing those who were triggered by struggling patients (hey, thats what we are here for because we are struggling!!)
Would you recommend this program? Yes, for short- term stabilization. The OP program is very helpful.
Level of activity allowed: You could walk to groups/cafeteria. There is also a pilates session once a week for patients. If you are medically unstable or severely undernourished you will have to be in a wheel chair all day.
What did people do on weekends? Mostly just hung out, watched movies, painted nails, talked on phone, visited with guests. On saturdays, there are some groups in the day. Sundays are pretty boring. They do offer a chaplain to come in and pray with you.
Do you get to know your weight? Usually, no. However, it is up to the dietician if you get to or not.
How fast is the weight gain process? Pretty slow. They are careful not to refeed you too quickly due to medical complications with the refeeding process. If you have been severely restricting you will be given a meal card with a few exchanges on it so its not too overwhelming. although you may feel like you are bloated at first but trust me this is just part of the refeeding process. usually like 1-2 lbs per week.
What was the average length of stay? I did stay for 4 months but this is not normal!! Average is 2 weeks, it just all depends on how medically stable you are when you come in and your attitude.
What was the average age range? 14-25
How do visits/phone calls work? vistors are allowed from 6-830 every night, I think earlier and longer on weekends. You can use the main phone after groups; they do recommend under 15 minutes as courtesy to other patients.
Are you able to go out on passes? not inpatient unless you are there for a long time and thats depending on the psychiatrists discretion. You do get to go on a meal outing to the main hospital to experience ordering more challenging food options. The food is delicous there by the way!
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an OP treatment team? They do offer great aftercare. After inpatient they do recommend their OP program. You go Monday through Saturday then down to 3 days per week. You also eat breakfast at home. OP treatment works if you are motivated for recovery; if not many patients end up back in IP. They not have the Arabella house for transitioning to life outside of IP or OP treatment.
I was a patient here numerous times spanning from 2004-2005. This program is great for stabilization. At one point, I had to stay inpatient for 4 months, wich sucked because of the small unit. However, most patients, depending on condition, average around 2 weeks. Positive aspects were a few helpful staff and lots of free time and long lasting friendships. Negative aspects were some favortism by the staff among those who were doing well and calling out patients at the table for “disordered” behaviors (which I believe should be done in private). All in all, great center for stabilization.
Could you do a full review? Could you comment about the meal plans/ food options and the policy on electronics?
What is the average stay? I have my intake interview tomorrow!!! I’m super nervous but I know it’s the best thing to do.
When were you there: december 26, 2011-january 5, 2012
Describe the average day: Breakfast at 8 (you can wake up whatever time as long as you’re ready by 8). They have a straightener and hairdryer on the unit that you can use, which I thought was really neat because most hospital units don’t allow that. After breakfast you have groups (adolescents have school for an hour, i believe, and then groups) and a snack if you are scheduled for a morning snack, in between groups. Then lunch, then more groups & afternoon snack in between groups again, then the php/iop patients leave and the inpatient people have a lotttt of free time after that. There is a tv available to watch & you are allowed to make friendship bracelets (another thing that’s really cool about linden oaks, because most hospital units don’t allow that) and you are allowed as much phone time as you want in the evenings. There are visiting hours every evening from 6-8 i believe (something like that, i don’t remember exactly) and then snack & there is one more group right before bed. & then it’s bedtime.
What were meals like? Food was okay for being a hospital. You walk down to the cafeteria and you have a meal card with your exchanges that you have to pick according to that. You’re only allowed two condiments. Once you have your meal, you go sit with the rest of the patients and there is a BHA (a counselor) or a nutritionist that supervises. Depending on if you have a good BHA sitting with you, they will call you out on using behaviors & take you aside & talk to you if you continue to use behaviors. Not completing is not tolerated. If you leave ANYTHING they give you some Ensure to supplement. The rest of the patients have to wait for you to finish your meal and if it takes a realllyyy long time the BHA or nutritionist will sit there forever just staring you down until you drink the Ensure. The first couple of times I completely refused the ensures & the meals and they threatened to tube me. They don’t mess around.
What sorts of food were available or served? They have a salad bar (you’re only allowed to have salad once a day & you have to make it according to the model that is out), soup, hamburgers & veggie burgers, chicken tenders, and pizza every day and there is also a hot meal that changes every meal and every day. Vegetarianism is NOT supported there. You can be vegetarian there, but if you are you are stuck with pizza almost every day because sandwiches are only allowed two days a week (you can have a pb & j sandwich on those days) and the veggie burgers don’t count for protein. Ditching vegetarianism is pushed like hell by the nutritionist.
Did they supplement? How did that system work? Yes, they supplemented with Ensure.
What privelages are allowed? Not many, It’s a hospital psych unit, so, yeah. Sometimes they take you outside to the courtyard but i went in the dead of winter so this didn’t happen too often.
Does it work on a level system? No.
What sort of groups do they have? Process, nutrition, stretching, med education, mindfulness, art, multifamily, spirituality & some other ones that i can’t really remember at the moment.
What was your favorite group? Process & art therapy
What did you like the most? The staff were great.
What did you like the least? therapist. Oh and on tuesday instead of your regular snack they would have “party foods.” They don’t tell you what it’s going to be and whatever it is, you have to eat it. When I was there, they had nachos one week and ice cream sundaes the next week.
Would you recommend this program? Yes.I would seriously probably be very very very very sick (physically and mentally) if I hadn’t gone in. I really recommend this program if you need medical stabilization
What level of activity or exercise was allowed? None. All inpatients are on exercise restriction.
What did people do on weekends? Weekends are pretty boring & there is a lot of free time. PHP and IOP come on saturday still but sundays suck. There is spirituality group on sunday mornings but that’s about it.
Do you get to know your weight? No, but my team did tell me that I lost weight since i started following their meal plan. I think they only told me because I was having a significantly difficult time completing my meals at first & even when I did start completing I was bitching alot to them about how i was convinced i was gaining a ton of weight when i really wasn’t.
How fast is the weight gain process? I didn’t have to gain weight when I went in, but I knew girls that did have to & they were always complaining that it was way too fast. Idk.
What was the average length of stay? I only stayed a total of ten days because I had to go back to school (i go to school in NY & i was on christmas break) but they wanted me to stay a bit longer in inpatient (about 2 1/2 weeks probably) then a month PHP and another month or so IOP and then they wanted me to go to Arabella, the stepping down house that’s associated with Linden Oaks.
What was the average age range? There were girls as young as 12 and as old as in their 50′s and 60′s. Most were in their teens/early twenties, though.
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an OP treatment team? They have inpatient, php, iop, and a stepping down house that they can provide if needed. Sometimes they send girls out to residential (timberline knolls was recommended to me at one point) and once they are done at residential they go to PHP and IOP
How many IP beds? How many patients in PHP or IOP? I think when I was there there were about 30 girls total in iop, php, and inpatient put together. In inpatient when I first went in there (the day after christmas) there were only 3 inpatients but by the time i left there were about 7 or 8. I think the unit has like 12 or so beds but they put patients on other units to sleep sometimes if there isn’t enough room.
Overall, this is the best psych unit i have been to. I’ve been to Alexian Bros and I absolutely positively HATED it. This is like the holy grail of the psych units in the area.
2011
don’t go here if you are a vegetarian, they do not support vegetarian diets. unless you want to have cheese pizza for lunch and dinner everyday. that’s really the only vegetarian option. and it’s made know they do not support a veggie lifestyle. however, the rest of the program is good and the staff is great.
2011
I HATED it there. I only stayed for about a week each stay (I had three) because I was sent there for stabilization from my residential. They were the worst weeks of my life. The staff was mean and I didn’t feel like I got anything out of the program at all. By my last stay I didn’t even bother trying to get help while I was there (even though I DID want recovery), I just said what I had to in order to get out. Total nightmare- I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.