The Comprehensive Eating Disorders Program at Stanford University / Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital offers inpatient and outpatient treatment for children, adolescents, and families.
Reviews? Please post in comments below. You can check out the FAQ and Guidelines for suggested questions. Thank you!
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i am 24 do they treat adults. The website is unclear
i think so. it’s probs up to 26. when i was there end of 2022 there was a few adults, but like 18-21
hey, i just wanted to say I was just here and am happy to answer anyone’s questions. I dont really have the energy in me to write a whole review (it takes a lot out of me plus since i just got out im still processing) but if anyone has questions i literally got discharged last week and i was there for 7 weeks so im very familiar with the program! my email is ashleynradcliffe@gmail.com 🙂
RECENT REVIEW OF INPATIENT (YOUNG ADULT)
When were you there? Jan 2024
What genders does it treat? all
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc? MD & nurses – daily, others – don’t remember but you will see the whole treatment team pretty soon when you admit (you might have to wait until the weekday though if you were admitted on a Friday evening like I was because there are only general MDs and nurses)
What is the staff-to-patient ratio? Not sure, but I was on 1-1 the whole time which sucked.
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)? I did not participate in any groups but I think they emphasize DBT, CBT, and FBT (bc it’s primarily a peds unit) They are also primarily for medical stablization, not intensive psychological therapy.
Describe the average day:
5:30 AM – weights and bloods (fun). They make you use the bathroom and change into a gown and bring the scale to your room. The nurses come to take your blood.
7:30 AM – orthostatic vitals.
8:30 AM – breakfast
12:00 PM – vitals again (every 4 hours, at least for me)
12:30 PM – lunch
2:30 PM – snack
4:00 PM – vitals
5:30 PM – dinner
8:00 PM – vitals
8:30 PM – snack
What were meals like? i did not even get to choose off a menu. The food just showed up and I had no input. I can’t really speak for the taste because I [restricted] my entire stay (i technically went as a voluntary patient but I did not want to be there lol). 3 meals, 2 snacks. Supervised by CNA in my room (i was on bedrest so couldn’t eat in the dining room but they let you when you’re more stable) there’s a time limit (40 min for main meals, 15 for snack? don’t remember)
What sorts of food were available or served?
breakfast – too many eggs, english muffins, apple slices, milk, juice, oatmeal, toast, bananas, melon, etc
snacks: – yogurt, granola, those nature valley bars, grapes, graham crackers and PB, cheese, crakcers, apple juice
lunch: – chicken, rice, veg, curry, bread
dinner: burritos, veggie burger
Did they supplement? How did that system work? Ensure plus – calorie for calorie replacement for whatever you did not complete. If you refuse Ensure, you get tubed. Not sure what they’d do if you try to refuse the tube though. If you’re a minor, probably restrain for feeds, adults, idk, maybe section you?. I just complied with supplements because i was not about to find out the hard way, even though I had more control as an adult.
What is the policy of not complying with meals? see above.
Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan? vegetarian yes, i think.
What privileges are allowed? electronics (not sure if it’s different for kids and adults), visitors during certain hours, you can go to the arts and craft room and outside patio once you’re off bedrest.
Does it work on a level system? not really? based on medical stability
How do you earn privileges? being medically stable. First 24 hours is mandatory bed rest and cardiac monitoring for all pts, you get wheel chaired around the unit if you need to go somewhere. Once you’re slightly more stable they let you walk around (no exercise though), shower, and only wear the heart monitor while sleeping. I think there’s yoga group too.
What sort of groups do they have? CBT, DBT, yoga/stretching, process, etc.
What was your favorite group? don’t know because I did not participate in any (they don’t force you if you’re an adult, but they do encourage you to join)
If applicable: Is the program trauma-informed? not sure
What did you like the most? being able to have electronics and my own room
What did you like the least? not being able to choose meals
Would you recommend this program? yes, but only for medical stablization. Don’t expect intensive long term mental health treatment.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed? no exercise besides stretching/yoga group. It’s a medical stablization unit so they try to limit unnecessary movement. The most movement I did was walking from my bed to the bathroom and to the couch lol.
What did people do on weekends? sit in bed, sleep, color. no groups on weekends.
Do you get to know your weight? They didn’t tell me but i didn’t ask either bc i assumed they wouldn’t tell me. But I figured out how to look in the chart to find out anyways.
If applicable: How fast is the weight gain process? The nutrition note said 0.9-1.4 kg/week, but social worker said 3-4 lbs/week. Weight gain is fast at first due to fluid retention/food weight. (I gained nearly 2 lbs in 3 days)
What was the average length of stay? average probably around a week. Can range from a few days to months. Depends how fast they get you physically stabilized. They don’t keep you longer than needed. I only stayed 3 days bc I left AMA although they wanted to keep me longer because of my vitals.
What was the average age range? probably 12-early 20’s. I did see a kid who looked to be 8-9 though. Mainly adolescents though, as it is a children’s hospital. I felt old when the teacher there asked me what grade i’m in and I told him I finished high school lol.
How do visits/phone calls work? it’s pretty flexible. don’t remember specific hours but i’m guessing something like 9 am-9 pm-ish. I think parents can stay overnight, but SO’s are discouraged to bc it’s a peds unit. Phone calls any time if you bring your phone.
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)? anything is fine. They search your stuff but don’t limit electronic use, at least for adults. [*TW*]I was literally googling the calories in the food because I was not in a recovery oriented mindset.[*END TW*]
For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go on outings/passes? no
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team? if you discharge AMA like myself, they don’t really set you up with anything. I just told them i’d follow up with outpatient, which I did. If you discharge properly they often recommend FBT, or potentially step down to res, PHP, or IOP.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country? not sure. it’s primarily people from the Bay Area.
If applicable: How is the program responding to COVID? (Less patients, virtual programming, no visitors, masks, social distancing, etc) patients not required to wear masks in rooms, not sure about common areas. Private rooms.
URGENT does anyone have a recent review of this place specifically how their typical programming is when youre an adult?? my email is ashleynradcliffe@gmail.com
Hi Ashley! I don’t have a review, but I just want to let you know that I think you are strong and brave, and that seeing the fight and tenacity in you inspires me to keep fighting and staying tenacious too! One of my favorite sayings, that has gotten me through a lot: “You never know when your spark will become a flame and change everything.” You’ve been through more than anyone at your age should ever have to have gone through, and more than most people at any age will ever actually go through, and yet you have such a spark! The world doesn’t even know how much awesomeness it has coming its way. You’ve got this!
anyone know if they’re still under construction? like the unit? or does everyone get their own room again?
yes everyone gets their own room and they are fully done with construction!!
does stanford do iv’s? do you have to have one in the whole time you are there? or do they do them specifically for electrolytes or glucose if needed? or for electrolytes do they do the medication orally?
they only do them if you need it otherwise no
hello! i have two questions about the program at lpch if anyone knows the answer to either one or both 🙂 or like if you’ve been or if you would have a good guess to the questions too.
does anyone know how stanford deals with arfid? do they treat it in the eating disorders program as it’s like its own thing/are they educated/knowledgable on arfid? or do they just kind of not care and don’t really know or understand much about arfid, they just try to get nutrition in you.
does anyone also know if stanford will do nj’s instead of ng’s?** like if you have digestive issues
thank you so much if you see this and take the time to answer these. i hope you all are doing well and have a wonderful day/night ?
they do treat ARFID idk about nj’s instead of ng’s since I’ve never heard of it but you can ask
Does anyone know what the age cut off is? In urgent need of care. Rachel please allow me to post how critical I am for help I was told I am dying. My bmi is [**see note below and comments]. My hemoglobin is [**see note below and comments]. I just got out of the ICU but they were a general hospital. I suffer from gastroparesis and I need to know what age they take up to. I was treated here when I was 18. I’m 28 now. I have insurance through my mom and also medi-cal. Please I need help fast. Thank you
TRIGGER WARNING
**below is the post but including the number redacted from the original post. before reading it, please read the admin note above and included again here:
Does anyone know what the age cut off is? In urgent need of care. Rachel please allow me to post how critical I am for help I was told I am dying. My bmi is [number redacted again after discussion ended]. My hemoglobin is x. I just got out of the ICU but they were a general hospital. I suffer from gastroparesis and I need to know what age they take up to. I was treated here when I was 18. I’m 28 now. I have insurance through my mom and also medi-cal. Please I need help fast. Thank you
sorry i’m a bit late to this, have you found care yet? stanford does have an age cut off and also doesn’t deal with gi issues very well, but ucsf does treat adults and is only like 45 minutes away from stanford. it’s not an ed program per say because they don’t have one for adults, but they have like ed protocol and they will definitely help stabilize and monitor you. they can also use their icu if needed. you could probably get admitted through the er if you’re not already in network and you don’t have someone who can refer you/admit you because of how critical you are right now. i hope you find help, it really sounds like you want to get better and i’m proud of you. you got this and are so strong and deserve to live life to the fullest and best ❤️❤️
Can we please not put bmis even with a trigger warning. I understand the urgency but also a lot of the times people look even with the tw. It makes other who have urgent matters but don’t fall into a certain criteria doubt how sick they are because they arnt “sick enough” when Ed’s are urgent at any bmi and size. Showing the bmi in the comment is and unnecessary and does nothing but harm and leans towards showing off. because a lot of people will feel less valid if help and not think they are urgent. Remember eds come at every size and shape and are deadly at any bmi
I absolutely understand your perspective. I wish I could unequivocately say yes. Sometimes there is another side in there that we can’t fathom unless we open ourselves to the possibility of gray. Because life isn’t as black and white as we would like it to be. For example, it’s difficult because in this situation this person has asked for help and suggestions on here numerous times over the past couple years and rarely gotten replies… until now.
I understand why they felt like maybe if they shared their BMI people would actually help and give suggestions. And they were right. The community proved them right. They received more suggestions in this one post than they have in total up until now. They were the same person earlier as they are now. Why did it take including a number for people to help? Maybe there will come a day when EVERYONE who posts here asking for help gets responses. I dream of that day. Where stereotypes about being “sick enough” aren’t reinforced on EDTR for all to see via the number of replies. Why is the page with the most replies to things ACUTE? It’s ONE program out of hundreds across the country. How does that make us look? Why are there so few reviews of IOP programs? In my experience, IOP is where I recovered. I’m sure I can’t be the only one who has had or could have that same experience. Why do posts about SEED treatment get more helpful replies than do posts about finding dual diagnosis programs? How does that not reinforce stereotypes and make people feel bad? Why do people who post on the IP/Res pages for programs get more attention than people who post on the same
program’s IOP/PHP page? When was the last time someone who asked about BED treatment even got replies? It would make it a lot easier on my end if EVERYONE who posts on here gets responses from the community. It’s important to talk the talk. But I need the community to walk the talk too. If I am put into situations where the community is not stepping up to the plate for ALL people who need treatment and who come to EDTR for help finding it, and community members regularly appear to pick and choose who to respond to in a manner that to me seems mostly based on perceived numbers and stereotypical ideas about who needs a response, I have to navigate accordingly. It would make it a lot easier for me to never need to consider exceptions
to the no numbers rule if I was
never put in the position of needing to consider exceptions to that rule.
rachel, i just want to say i really appreciate your response. as someone who has not been able to access treatment because of certain things that are often seen as triggers, it makes it a lot harder to seek care when you can’t ask for what you need. with BMI, sadly some facilities are not equipped or will not handle a BMI under XX so it really can be a barrier to treatment.
anyways, just want to say we appreciate all you do with EDTR. it’s definitely not an easy thing and we applaud you for always listening and not thinking in black&white.
Thank you so so much Rachel. I appreciate you so much
A few years ago my best friend died at the same age and BMI as you are right now. She had also recently been discharged from a general hospital. It was like the system simply wouldn’t allow her to live, even though she didn’t want to die. Her birthday was yesterday. She had such a great life ahead of her, and so many things she wanted to do with it. It wasn’t her fault she happened to have an eating disorder as well as to have dreams. She couldn’t wait to get better enough that she could go dancing. She wanted to go on dates. She wanted to apply for jobs. She wanted to experience living independently in the city with a roommate. You too have such a great life ahead of you, and so many fun experiences ahead of you that are yours and that you deserve to have, and it’s not your fault that you also got stuck with an eating disorder. I would do anything to keep what happened to her from happening to anyone else. And definitely anything to keep it from happening to you. ❤️ You’re such a sweet person and a real light in the world. I want you to stay here in the world for a long time. I don’t want you to leave. The world needs your light. And you deserve the chance to shine – as many chances as you may need! At any moment the spark could become a flame. You need to stay alive until it does.
My birthday was yesterday too! Maybe it’s a sign. Oh, thank you so much who ever this may be. That’s all I want, is to be free. Live a healthy strong life. Cure my gastroparesis, be able to eat yummy food. I don’t want to suffer anymore. I have so much fight in me. It’s so hard because I live in California and so many treatment centers have closed down. I tried to go to ACUTE and they were going to accept me, but as soon as they found out I had medi-cal they stopped the admission process. I just want help so badly. I want to live.
That’s so cool about the matching birthdays!! Happy birthday!! I believe in signs, and it IS a sign. A GREAT sign! I love that. Thanks for sharing about your birthday, that makes me so happy!
You aren’t alone in the experience of ACUTE denying you because you also have Medicaid even though you have a private insurance they do take. Even if they otherwise would accept you with your primary plan/the plan you would be using there, the second they hear “Medic” they drop the gate and lock it! I think even if you’ve had Medicaid at all in the past 90 days, you’re gatekeeped (my phrasing, their practice). It’s infuriating. I wonder if the doctors there know how hard the business/admissions office is working to make extra money by gatekeeping the patients who they are given to treat by not accepting anyone who also has secondary Medicaid or recently had Medicaid. Doctors are salaried and, aside from at Kaiser, are not owners or partners where they work. Their pay is the same each pay period whether or not they treated any patients in the past two weeks who have both private insurance and Medicaid! Docs aren’t even seeing the files of anyone who the business office finds out has Medicaid and instantly deems a “financial risk,” just because Medicaid is an income-based insurance and possibly down the line after discharge they would not be able to pay the balance of their bill.
I believe it’s my time to fight my hardest. You are so kind and helped calm my soul. Thank you, Rachel. Yes, it’s so hard to have medi-cal and private insurance. The ONLY program that will accept me right now once my labs are stable is Equip. I am bedridden. There is no way I can have that little support. I do like the fact of being home but I would essentially need a care taker. That just doesn’t sound like recovery to me. Please if anyone is reading this and knows of ANYWHERE that will accept extremely low bmi and GI issues and private insurance/ medi-cal. Thank you again <3
I don’t have personal experience with any of the below, but maybe Albany Medical Center in Upstate NY (they do medical stabilization and offer a virtual IOP that you can do while IP), Veritas, UPMC COPE, Lindner Center of HOPE, UNC Chapel Hill accepts people in their late 20s and has inpatient, or RWJ Somerset?
I hope you can get the care you need and deserve.
Thank you so much! I will look into these programs. Appreciate your response ❤️
Have you tried UCLA?
I have not. Do they have inpatient and do they accept a very low bmi and multiple medical issues? Do you know the age cut off?
They definitely used to have a cutoff of around 24/25 for their medical stabilization program (MSP), but someone posted recently that they just opened one for adults in Malibu! I don’t know anything about it, but the person who posted about it is a very active community member who is SUPER reliable, always factual and helpful, and not easily triggered so can probably help with questions if they know the answer. ? Here is their post! https://edtreatmentreview.com/client-general-forum/#comment-28553
I worked in Medicaid Eligibility and I know why this is a thing! Most Medicaid plans don’t cover eating disorder or any nutrition based services. Some programs have the resources to do billing workarounds, but unfortunately ACUTE isn’t one of them ? here’s the kicker– there’s an abstract federal law that if a patient has an insurance plan, even if it’s a secondary insurance, the provider HAS to bill that insurance plan. If they’re unable to bill the plan, they legally can’t accept you as a patient. When you request closure for your Medicaid insurance, it can take anywhere from 30-90 days for the closure to officially take effect. If closure is within that time window, they can’t accept you. It’s so messed up. I quit my job because of how heartbroken it made me. I always ask people to channel their anger and frustration at the government who doesn’t care about its citizens over treatment centers who would take patients of they could.
I wanted to add something about Acute and Medicaid (not defending Acute, just saying). It’s a state law in Colorado that a provider who does not take Medicaid cannot treat a Medicaid patient even if the patient has other means to pay. This is a law in multiple states-not just Colorado. I think we need to focus on fighting to change the law, because there is literally nothing that Acute can do about it. We have a similar law in NJ and it makes treatment even less accessible.
In regards to programs that you can go to for medical stabilization, firstly, right now, you need to be IN a hospital. If the general hospital discharged you, please find another one that will admit you even for the short term. UCLA and UCSF are both hospitals that are willing to treat adults with eating disorders and have some sort of experience with it.
Once you are there, you can look at transferring elsewhere. Here are a few hospital programs that I can think of that offer eating disorder medical stabilization for adults: Albany Med, Strong Memorial, Rise Recovery, UNC, University of Michigan. My guess is that you’d be too unstable to fly.
Do you have an eating disorder doctor? Sometimes they can coordinate with the hospital to keep you there until you are stable enough to fly.
If none of these are options, please email me! There are a few other hospitals that are willing to take eating disorder patients, and even if they are not experts, it’s better than nothing. My email address is esti@ayeleth.org
I don’t want to hijack the thread, especially because this is a thread on the Stanford page, not the ACUTE page. I would like to request that further discussion about ACUTE, unless it is actually replying to the OP about the terrible position they have been put in, be moved to the ACUTE page (e.g. replies to me about what laws we should focus on overturning). OP needs to focus on themselves first before they could even begin to focus on overturning state laws – and maybe that will never what they need to focus on! Most people’s future in recovery doesn’t include policy work. ?
University of Wisconsin recently started an adult ED protocol too.
Thank you I’m going to email you now!
i am a licensed professional and have worked in the field for years and this is not a law but a policy for many reasons which can result in many issues but wanted to clarify this isn’t a law
A friend with very low BMI, in CA went to Alta Bates Summit Herrick. It’s a hospital based medical stabilization program only, but right now that’s sounding like what you need. My friend had MediCal at the time.
I hope you find a place soon.
I don’t recommend Alta bates for adults. The Ed program director left last year, and the Ed program has gone downhill since. You just meet with the phsyciatrist for a few minutes every day, and do the regular mh groups which are basically just OT groups. There’s no real Ed support. You also meet with the dietician on intake, and as needed after that, but usually weekly.
Alta bates no longer takes medi cal nor has a real ED program. The closest option to them is reasons for medi cal
I’m also terribly sorry for your loss. She sounds like a lovely young woman who had such strength.
Scared adult,
have you looked at Sanford in Fargo? They take Medicare or private insurance, take all ages, and have accepted very sick people. It could be worth a shot!
Thank you!!! I will reach out to them!
I would second Sanford in Fargo, North Dakota for the same reasons ‘A’ mentioned above and the program is in a hospital. I’m not sure about the distance for you though since I’m assuming you’re in CA.
I don’t know if it’s possible, but just trying to come up with ideas…what about admitting through the ER at Stanford or UCSF?
I love EDTR. What a gift from the community to wake up and hop on here to approve comments, and to see so many replies! ?
no need to reply, you owe us nothing. but i just wanted to say ive been thinking of you and hope you found a hospital that is helping you find recovery, which you deserve! the system is broken… i very much hope that some facility stepped up for you <3
i was wondering if one could make the experience here more like torrance or acute? like can we primarily stay in our rooms and make it more room-based treatment? are groups required?
i was here in December 2022. i was able to stay in my room all day. they don’t force you to go out to eat or hang out with everyone. They do have groups, but no they are not required.
Only if youre an adult
Oh interesting. They let me stay in my room all day and pick and choose when I wanted to go hangout with everyone. I was 14 at the time.
100% especially if [*TW*]you’re very low bmi [*END TW*] and they want you resting.
They also make you room based if your on a [*TW*] ng tube [*END TW*]
Can you be held against your will if you’re voluntarily here as an adult? Do I have the rights to discharge myself AMA?
Ive never heard of them putting someone on hold. As for AMA yes you can do so at anytime
this is so off-topic, but I just love how I’m also a Melissa (really not a common name for 15-40y/o’s nowadays) and am currently considering this program :’)
So if you end up admitting, and there’s another Melissa there, feel free to say hi! I have a lot of social anxiety in regards to initiating conversations, but I’d be more than happy to chat <3
Describe the average day:
I’d heard so many good things about this program and ultimately ended up incredibly disappointed and frustrated. I will always advocate for getting treatment if someone’s life is in danger, and I doubt that my experience is typical for this program, so please take my review with a grain of salt.
just want to add that as an “adult” (22, still on my parents’ insurance) in the SF Bay Area who has been recommended this program by my PCP, this review honestly helps a lot. As someone whose primary behavior is b/p, but who is also UW & has coexisting safety concerns, it has been hard to find a “local” (within 200 miles) program that has experience treating folks with similar issues. I usually just end up at Herrick/Alta Bates, which, tbh, now that Dr. ***/the “ED Program Director” is gone, is honestly kind of a shitty program for adult ED care. So I was considering the program at Lucille Packard/CCP, but it honestly sounds like it would be more harmful than conducive to my recovery [*POSSIBLE TW*] as someone who’s only “slightly UW” and engaged in B/P as opposed to “just” restriction, [*END TW*] much less as an adult vs. someone who could “reasonably” engage in FBT. So again, just want to say that I genuinely appreciate your input. even if it isn’t the “typical” CCP patient <3
i might be admitted to here soon. hows it like now? any changes?
I’m currently at the CCP and have been multiple times over the past four years — feel free to ask me anything.
When were you there?
january 2023/currently
What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?
inpatient
How many patients are there on average?
up to 15; seemed like 10-15
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined?
both & combined I think
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc?
for me, I think I saw the medical doctor every day, psychiatrist every day. therapist/psychologist 2-3x/week, & dietitian 2x/week.
What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
some were on 1:1 (I think if you are at risk for sh, ed behaviors, or are suicidal). in the dining room there are usually 3 staff members. if I had to guess, I would say there is usually roughly 1 staff member around for every 2 patients.
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, etc.)?
art therapy, rec therapy, dbt, cbt
Describe the average day:
730 – weight & vitals
830 – breakfast
915 – group
10-12 – treatment team meetings/free time
12 – vitals
1230 – lunch
145 – group
230 – snack
315 – group
4 – vitals
530 – dinner
7 – vitals
830 – snack
(as you can tell, lots of free time in between things)
What were meals like? What sorts of food were available or served?
hospital food but not bad. expect meals & snacks to start smaller & then increase each day you are there.
breakfast: pancakes, french toast, eggs, hasbrowns, oatmeal, english muffins, etc.
lunch: sandwiches (pb&j, turkey, grilled cheese), burritos, rice & teriyaki, curries, etc.
dinner: pizza, pasta, burgers, fish & quinoa, chicken & orza, etc.
snacks: yogurt, milk, granola bars, fruit, nuts, chips, cheese, crackers (wheat thins, graham crackers, animal crackers), peanut butter, guac, etc.
Did they supplement? How did that system work?
I believe they supplemented by calculating the calories of what you didn’t eat & giving that many calories of supplement. if you refuse the supplement, they would eventually give it via an ng tube as a last resort.
What is the policy of not complying with meals?
you’re given supplement
if you refuse the supplement, they will eventually give it via an ng tube as a last resort
(they really do encourage eating or supplementing over the ng tube & will be flexible w/ you to try to get you to consume by mouth)
Are you able to eat vegetarian?
I believe so
What privileges are allowed?
you get access to your tech & can get lots of alone time if you’re not on a 1:1
Does it work on a level system?
yes: everyone starts on strict medical bedrest
then you move up to either wheelchair or standard
on wheelchair, you get to the dining room & group room via a wheelchair
on standard, you can walk to the dining room & group room
What sort of groups do they have?
stretching & relaxation, art therapy, recreation therapy, nutrition, cognition, dbt, theatre works, process, & health education
What did you like the most?
getting my own room/personal space & getting to have my tech, almost all of the staff are super sweet & make you feel really cared for
What did you like the least?
a lot of downtime (can get lonely/boring), how quickly meal plans increase, & other patients can sometimes be triggering
Would you recommend this program?
yes
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
pretty much none. just light stretching in the stretching & relaxation group 3x/week.
What did people do on weekends?
whatever you want… there’s a lot of free time. one group on saturday but that’s it.
Do you get to know your weight?
you get the option of knowing on Mondays
How fast is the weight gain process?
depends on the person but pretty fast for me
What was the average length of stay?
it depends person to person; [redacted] – typically once you no longer meet criteria, they will discharge you***
What was the average age range?
a lot of range. some really young kids & some people in their early 20s. during my stay, the age range was 12-24.
How do visits/phone calls work?
parents can visit 24/7
anyone else can visit 9 am-9 pm
you get 24/7 access to your phone except discouraged from using during meals/snacks & groups
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?
yes, they help follow up w/ your outpatient medical providers
If applicable: How is the program responding to COVID? (Less patients, virtual programming, no visitors, masks, social distancing, etc)
wear a mask when outside your room & dining room is socially distanced
Other?
they let you chose a blanket out of this bunch of really cute different patterned blankets to keep when you first get admitted
they also offer disposable hot packs to patients after every meal/snack
they have a really nice art room w/ plenty of art supplies, lots of games, books, movies/show, & a really cute patio w/ plants
***criteria redacted by admin per site policy of no weights/BMIs and no numbers
were most of the staff nice? i’ve been there before and might have to go back but i remember this one night staff was super nice (i dont think i’m allowed to say her name on here) but i wonder if she still works there. when i was there she was like the only staff that was nice, but are most of them nice now?
I think most of the staff are supportive and well-versed with EDs. Of course, like any treatment facility there were people who said the wrong things, but I always felt safe here
most of the staff are super sweet. ofc, there are one or two that aren’t great but overall, I really liked the staff there.
What does rapid response mean?
december 2022
Yea
up to 15
combined
yes
all of them on your first day, then from there it’s as needed, or every few days.
some people are on to 1:1, but in the group room there is about 3 staff.
Describe the average day:
basic hospital food, it’s pretty bad
they encourage you to eat everything, but if you don’t, they do it calorie per calorie of ensure plus.
you get an Ng tube. They do in and out after every feed. If they keep having to do that, they’ll just leave it in
yes if you were vegiterian before your Ed started
you can have all your devices, basically everything you want. Just no sharps, you can wear your own clothes
yes, there’s medical bed rest where your connected to a heart monitor all day unless your using the bathroom
theres wheelchair
then standard where you can go to groups, eat the meals not in your room
eat, get medically stabilized
the staff are really nice
they keep putting an Ng tube in every time you don’t finish
yeah, it’s good for medical stabilization
none it’s a hospital. Though you can go on short walks
sleep, do groups
not sure, I assume not.
it’s a hospital, so Probaly a few pounds a week, since they’re trying to get your organs to work good
a few days, to a few weeks, depends on medical instability
11-18
any time.
you can use all them except during meals
no, it’s a hospital
you have to wear a mask, keep your distance from people
-How long did you have to be vegetarian prior to your ed for them to allow you to be vegetarian?
– can you say what foods you don’t like and [***]?
-Can you choose your flavoring of stuff?
-What kinds of food do they serve can you give examples?
How does the tube work?
[***]
***admin note: these questions has been redacted due to the fact that they have a tendency to fuel ED behavior in treatment
Really prior. Your parents have to agree to be a vegirerian diet.
I didn’t like the spicy foods, but I have arfid so I’m pretty picky.
you can choose the flavoring of ensure, strawberry, chocolate, vanilla. It is ensure plus.
breakfast: pancakes, French toast, toast, eggs
lunch: forgot
dinner: there’s a lot of cultural foods. Like burritos, Indian food etc.
they put the tube in your nose as soon as you refuse the ensure. They give you 10 min to complete. If you refuse the tube, they’ll restrain you to put it in. They do the feeds every meal/snack. Though you do get a chance to eat every meal, then to drink the ensure.
Although the age cutoff for the Stanford Children’s unit is the 26th birthday (oldest being 25), they say they take adults (over 18) on a case by case basis since they are a children’s hospital. Most of their admits who are older than 21 come from their outpatient clinic, however they do make some exceptions. They also do not admit out of area patients very often because they do same-day admits. So you cannot “schedule” or “arrange” an admission there. If not coming to the hospital directly from the outpatient clinic appointment, your doctor calls the doctor there and they discuss your case and if you meet criteria. If they decide to admit you, you must come the same day to take the available bed. Which is why it doesn’t work for out of driving area patients.
When were you there?
March 2022
How many patients are there on average?
There’s 15 beds, and it’s usually full or close to full. It’s a satellite program of LPCH located in El Camino Hospital, and I’m pretty sure there’s a couple more beds not for the ED program (respiratory and like asthma I believe).
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined?
Yes it treats both males and females (I think non-binary as well). Treatment is combined, but you have your own room.
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc?
You see a medical doctor every day. You see a psychiatrist and nutritionist around twice a week. You see a psychologist two-three times a week. I believe you can see the psychologist more, but you or your insurance have to pay more on the final bill. There’s also a social worker who I only met with once, but you might see them more if it’s applicable. You see them all on your first full day.
What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
There’s 1:1’s that they’ll put you on if you’ve ever attempted suicide. I wasn’t suicidal when I was admitted but they immediately put me on a 1:1 after I filled out the form that asked if I’ve ever attempted. I talked to the psychologist the next day though and got off the 1:1. When you first get there you are on strict medical bedrest (SMBR) for at least 24 hours, but are not monitored by someone in your room all of those hours unless you are on a 1:1. You are obviously supervised while you eat. After you eat, you are supervised for an hour (two if you’ve had a history with purging) that they call an “A code”, so that means if you are on SMBR you have someone sit with you during that time. Outside of your room, the staff ratio is like 1:4 I think.
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, etc.)?
The psychologists use DBT and CBT. But the first session with the psychologist is usually just a diagnostic where they assess you to find out what to diagnose you with.
Describe the average day (I’m not honestly 100% sure about the times so don’t take my word for it lol and this is just what I remember):
5:30 am: Weights and labs
8am: Wakeup and vitals
8:30am: Breakfast
9: Groups/Free Time/School
11:00am: Vitals
11:00am: Doctors, therapists, dieticians, etc see you and a group sometimes
12:00pm: Lunch
12:30 pm: Groups/School/Free Time
2:30pm: Snack
4:00pm: Vitals
5:30pm: Dinner
7:30pm: Vitals
8:00pm: Snack
10:00pm: Lights out
There’s actually a decent amount of free time so
What were meals like?
When you’re on SMBR they are on a tray in your room. When you’re off that you eat in the dining room with the other patients. Your parents can also come and then you can eat with your parents. You have 30 minutes to finish meals and 15 minutes to finish snacks.
What was the visiting policy?
Your parents could come anytime and stay for as long as they want, overnight too. There are no friends who can come visit you, at least if you’re under 18 no friends can.
What sorts of food were served?
Pretty basic hospital food. The food was honestly terrible and you don’t get to pick your food. You get three dislikes that they won’t serve to you, but only three. These are some examples that I remember (sorry I don’t remember much)
Breakfast: Pancakes, cereal, french toast, butter, bagels, bread, milk, soy milk, eggs, bacon, basic hospital breakfast food.
Lunch: Quesadillas, peas & carrots, grilled cheese, burritos, sour cream, tomato soup, turkey sandwiches also basic hospital lunch.
Dinner: Spaghetti, chicken, salmon, rice, broccoli, mac & cheese
Did they supplement? How did that system work?
Yes. They supplement calorie per calorie with ensure, but sometimes I swear they gave you way more ensure than what you left. They have chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ensures.
What is the policy with not complying with meals and supplements?
They will tube you, and take it out after the feed is done.
Can you be vegetarian?
Yes.
What is the electronic policy?
You can have all electronics 24/7
Is there a level system?
No, not really. You can move more based on medical stability. The phases are as follows:
Strict medical bedrest: You are in your bed at all times, you can only get up for blood pressure and using the bathroom. When your vitals get better you will get off of it.
Modified strict medical bedrest: Basically the same thing as SMBR except you can shower for a very short time. You can go on a wheelchair to groups and meals, but other than that, you have to stay in your bed.
Wheelchair: Basically you can take a longer shower and be places other than your bed but you must be on a wheelchair. You get on this when your heart rate is above 40bpm at night.
Standard activity: You can walk everywhere and stand. If you’re on this its a good sign because your vitals are discharge criteria! If you remain on this for 24 hours, you can be discharged!
What sort of groups do they have?
The ones I remember are art, nutrition and occupational therapy.
What was your favorite group?
I didn’t like any of them lol
What did you like the most?
I liked how the rooms were nice and you could have all your electronics. There was this one nurse who was superrrrr nice I loved her so much.
What did you like the least?
A lot of the staff were bad and I didn’t like groups. I struggle a lot with comparing so it was super hard for me. The good thing is that they didn’t make me go to groups to discharge though.
Would you recommend this program?
I hated it, but if you need medical stabilization, you need it, so please go if you need to.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
None.
What did people do on weekends?
The same thing as the weekdays
Do you get to know your weight?
No
How fast is the weight gain process?
I don’t know
What was the average length of stay?
Like 4-14 days, but it depends on you and it could be longer or shorter.
What was the average age range?
11-25
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 have outpatient and an outpatient clinic. They recommend FBT and give your parents a packet of what to make you eat and about plating, supplementing with ensure, etc. They will usually discharge you home, and not to other treatment centers
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?
Yes people come from all over.
does the in and out tube feeding always happen? so if you refuse all supplements then they’ll just tube you each time and take it out each time?
The simple answer is yes, however, on a SUPER rare occasion they’ll make an exception. Ex: if you’re in a state of high distress they may not force the NG process. Keep in mind though this kind of behavior will most likely only be tolerated on a one off occasion so if you’re going into this place assuming you can skip meals and snacks without the NG being ordered, you’re in for an ugly surprise. Overall I think they only keep the NG in for the duration it takes to process the supplement you refused previously, but I believe if you continue to refuse meals/supplements continuously you’ll be discharged AMA for not complying with the program.
What does rapid response mean? I’ve heard it’s a code but is it when someone is in danger or what is it exactly?
I really liked this hospital. I was very scared but all the nurses got me settled and while my parents filled out paperwork my nurse played Uno with me. The meals were very good in quality and I enjoyed it. You ate with a nurse the first day and then you ate with a parent and a nurse and after 3 meals with a parent and nurse your parent can eat with you but you also have the option to continue eating with a nurse. The rooms are very nice and clean and the TV is wonderful I might add. The doctors are very nice but they have kind of kind of unannounced visits. Their groups are very engaging. My favorite part is when they call you for snack and over the microphone they use the disco setting and it brings so much joy to my recovery. Would recommend.
This is such a wholesome comment! I’m glad you had a great experience at Stanford and I’m cheering you on in your recovery!
Do you know what rapid response means?
Hi I was wondering if anyone knows if stanford would be willing to accept a 29 year old????? I have state insurance and have no options:(
Hi, im sorry but the age cutoff is 24 🙁
You should try Rady’s in San Diego – they take up to 30
Do you have to reach a certain weight goal or percentage of Ideal Body Weight for discharge?
Yes, at least seventy five% IBW
What does rapid response mean?
When were you there?
October 2019 and January 2020
How many patients are there on average?
Usually close to full so 10-15. The max is usually 15 since it is a 15 bed unit.
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined?
Yes, treatment is combined, but everyone has their own room. There are two shared rooms on the unit, but I think they try to put the same age and gender in those rooms if both beds need to be filled.
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc?
You see a medical doctor everyday, psychiatrist never (I never saw the psychiatrist both times I was there), psychologist every day for 30 minutes, nutritionist (I think I saw them maybe 3 times the first time I was there and 2 times the second time I was there?).
What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
When you are on “strict” bedrest, you have a nurse for meals and snacks and 1 hour or 30 minutes post. Once you are on “wheelchair” or “standard” and eat in the group dining room, there might be 2 staff to 10 patients. Same with obs after. If you’re over 18 though, you can have your obs not in the school room or art room and can sit near the nurses station or the patio or even your room as long as you’re “within view” of the nursing station.
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, etc.)?
The psychologist runs some DBT and DBT groups that you can attend once you are on “wheelchair” or “standard”.
Describe the average day:
8am: Wakeup and vitals
8:30am: Breakfast
10:30am: Snack
11:00am: Vitals
12:30pm: Lunch
2:30pm: Snack
4:00pm: Vitals
5:30pm: Dinner
7:00pm: Vitals
8:30pm: Snack
10:00pm: Lights out
*The doctors usually come around 11am and the psychologist or therapist often comes around the same time. The dietitian usually comes in this time frame as well, so it feels a little bit “all at once”. In between meals and snacks you have groups such as school group, movie group, art group, CBT group, DBT group, etc. This is only if you are off of “strict” level though.
What were meals like?
They were in your room if on “strict” in the bed with your tray table. Once you are on “wheelchair” or “standard” they are in the group dining room and they are kind of awkward because everyone is silent at the dining table and conversations are scarce. There is also a big age gap between some of the patients who might be a pre-teen (11 or 12) up to a 25 year old (this was me both times I was there). I had to be careful what I said because of the young really children at the table. The kids could also opt to eat with their parents instead of the dining room to simulate FBT.
What sorts of food were available or served?
They had pasta with red sauce, a lot of mexican food with sour cream I remember, and eggs and toast and bacon for breakfast. Snacks were crackers and cheese and fruit often.
Did they supplement? How did that system work?
It’s calorie per calorie with ensure. They let you pick the flavor between chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry.
What is the policy of not complying with meals?
If you don’t drink the ensure, then they do “in-and-out” with the tube meaning for each meal or snack you don’t drink the ensure for, they drop a tube and then pull it back out after and let you try again. Unless you’re on continuous feeds or they have a different plan for you.
Are you able to eat vegetarian?
Yes.
What privileges are allowed?
All electronics.
Does it work on a level system?
Yes. The three levels are:
Strict: You must stay in your bed attached to the heart monitor 24/7. Usually for 2 days OR until your heart rate is above 40bpm at night.
Wheelchair: Can go in a wheelchair to and from dining room, school room, patio, and group room. Hear monitor only at night.
Standard: Can walk to and from dining room, school room, patio, and group room. Heart monitor only at night.
How do you earn privileges?
By becoming more medically stable.
What sort of groups do they have?
They have a variety
What was your favorite group?
Probably the art groups once you were off strict medical bedrest.
What did you like the most?
My favorite doctor ever is on staff there sometimes as the attending and she is absolutely AMAZING!
What did you like the least?
I think they try to rush you in and out of there pretty quickly depending on which doctor is the attending. Some doctors will keep you longer than others.
Would you recommend this program?
Yes. I loved it and I thought the nursing staff there was extremely well-trained and compassionate. They also take very high acuity patients.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
Zero. You’re in the hospital.
What did people do on weekends?
Same as weekdays! It’s the hospital.
Do you get to know your weight?
You get to know your weight once a week on Mondays.
How fast is the weight gain process?
3-5 pounds per week.
What was the average length of stay?
I believe the absolute “shortest” stay there is 5 days, average is probably about a week. If you’re extremely unstable or underweight it may be more like 5 weeks. Although I have heard of cases where a patient was there for 2 months. My first admission was 6 days and my 2nd admission was 10 days.
What was the average age range?
I’d say the average is adolescents in high school. They take up to age 25, but as a 25 year old, I was of course the oldest one. There were usually 1-2 other people in their 20s there both times I was there.
How do visits/phone calls work?
You have your cellphone 24/7 except at meals and snacks.
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)?
You have your phone and electronics 24/7 except at meals and snacks.
Are you able to go out on passes?
No because it’s a hospital.
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team?
They will fill out forms for you and send them to residentials and PHP/IOP programs if you ask them too, but they aren’t really geared towards comprehensive discharge planning because they deal with a lot of FBT patients, so often just discharge most patients to home. They have an outpatient clinic so you can follow-up with them there too, especially if you’re doing DBT.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?
Yes when I was there, there was a girl from Mexico I believe. Most others were from around the area though.
If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people?
Other?
Yes.
do you get to choose meals or are they just given to you? is it collaborative?
No choice in meals, they just give it to you, you do get to chose 3 dislikes though and will make adjustments as needed. Like if your dislike is beans and theres a Burrito on the menu that day, instead u might get a chicken and rice wrap
What does rapid response mean? And are there certain foods you can’t put on your list for the 3?
Hi this a former CCP (Comprehensive Care Program) patient named Mark. Reason I am posting here is because I did not see a place to post on the general web page so sorry for the invasiveness. Overall my experience was really good here. Although I cured my anorexia at 16 before it caused medical trouble. I did still have trouble with nutrition at a young age and unstable serotonin levels making eating very difficult at a young age due to a diagnosis of ASD. This is unusual though for Packard to have someone with this diagnosis over the 2nd one I received at 17 OCD. But the reason I received treatment here instead of Rogers Memorial who knows about both disorders very well. As well as eating disorders. Is because they do not have malnutrition But was grateful to hear from Dr. **** [the CCP Medical Director] no eating disorder detected but due to severe OCD until recently improved with medical Lazarus 0 THC CBD oil, which was a nearly 4 month wait before serotonin levels got stabilized although appetite started improving before anxiety did at least in the worry loop also responsible for emotional dysregulation. My functional medicine practitioner Dr. **** is the one who recommended this and there is no risk of serotonin syndrome if BMI is too low. But adding an atypical antipsychotic according to my Sutter psychiatrist on top of the severe malnutrition is what lead to it at beginning of inpatient stay. Dr. **** was attending psychiatrist following me and a fellow **** but is no longer at CCP now but she was very fun to work with though who did seem to have a very understanding in anxiety disorders like mine. Just not OCD. I first learned of Nacetylcystiene from [my attending psychiatrist] on unit which is antioxidant mood stabilizer on top of respiratory and immune defense. I used the hospital grade here but the outpatient version without prescription is only $25 from Bioadvantex Pharma. Recommended by [my functional medicine practitioner]. As much as possible the unit attempted to give me [nurse 1] for day shift and [nurse 2] for night shift knowing they were the best fit for me which I highly believe that too. And of course having the unit locked except during regular daytime hours minus weekends meant we were all safe from criminals breaking into El Camino Hospital. Or at least unit 4C. This unit. Luckily for being a milieu unit they have a lot of amenities that make it seem less of a hospital and more of a hotel. El Camino in general is very deluxe and that is why [the medical director] built her unit here. Being 15 beds as listed on website which is rather finicky right now. It used to be Packard proper but has been here since 2003. I bet though for all you former patients here though being sick is no fun especially if medically unstable which is the darnest thing about anorexia now a days responsible for most admissions here at least before Covid. They had at least 3 or 4 during my 60 day visit last summer. I did hear adolescent fellow *name redacted* MD say though for patients tested postive for Corona that they would be admitted to Covid unit at Packard proper rather than CCP. I know this takes a lot of courage to post. And although I am not a HIPPA mandated person I treat it as if I were. Just for privacy protection reasons. I know if you were to call the unit number listed on El Camino Health most of the nurses welcome it particularly [nurse 1] and [nurse 2] but try not to do it too often to help avoid them getting into trouble. Their former manager said they are simply urged but not strictly prohibited from saying hi to former patients and of course patients are welcome to stop by to visit but they have restrictions on that today due to Covid but once that improves the restrictions would be lifted. I have also been a Unit 4A patient which is El Camino proper for medical stabilization of orthostatics with saline. Those nurses are really nice too and pretty much the same age too pretty not much older 20s not much older than I am being now at age 24. But sadly does not have the expertise as the CCP to stabilize weight and BMI though. Only vitals, hydration, and electrolytes. Though El Camino Mt. View has been magnet for many years and still is today which attracts a lot more nurses than some other hospitals do. Lucile Packard earned magnet while I was at CCP. If you do need PHP or IOP treatment of an eating disorder please consider a free screening from Rogers Memorial website. They do telehealth if BMI is at least 16. Now of course CBD oil from Lazarus is a THC free version, Designs for Health 900 mg Inositol since they are known for serotonin levels, and Bioadvantex Pharma Nacetylcystiene for oxidative stress. You do not need a doctor’s prescription and are less likely to produce side effects. All holistic. Homeopathy can also help which I use and the homeopath I work with via phone is **** ND. Now although homeopathy does not require prescription either, it is advised to work with one because this is out of my expertise but after CCP discharge Phosphorus is known to help with eating aversion. There is some literature about that. Hope this helpful for you patients and again, sorry Autumn for posting a regular post although I did attempt to address some of your concerns as well. Have not met any terribly strict nurses but that is probably because they did not think I had anorexia. Please take care and hope you are well.
Warmly,
Mark
*names redacted by admin per site policy*
When were you there?
may 2016, august 2017, December 2017 – January 2018, April 2019
How many patients on average?
max is 15
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined?
yes. its combined.
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc?
MD was everyday, psychiatrist, therapist and RD was at least once a week
Describe the average day:
They will wake you up around five if you need bloodwork. They’ll also wake you up between seven and eight to do vitals, but you technically you don’t have to be awake until breakfast which is at 8:30, unless you want to shower before hand. After breakfast you either go to school or relaxation group which is on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You then have to go back to your room for vitals and you can just wait around until lunch which is at 12:30. After lunch there’s another group and then you have snack at 2:30. After that it’s more school until dinner at 5:30. After dinner is downtime and they usually watch a movie or something until snack at 8:30. Then you get vitals and you can go to bed.
What were meals like?
30 minutes for meals and 15 minutes for snacks. You can either eat with the other patients and nurses in the dining room, if you are approved or you can eat with your family. If you don’t have family staying with you and you’re on bedrest a nurse will come and sit with you. It tends to be really quiet and awkward but sometimes there will be music or good conversations. The longer you are there the bigger meals will get along with your snacks.
What sorts of food were available or served?
Pretty typical hospital food, but they did have some interesting things. For breakfast it was typically things like pancakes, Granola, yogurt, French toast, eggs, butter, syrup, soy milk, fruit, sugar, oatmeal, bagels, peanut butter, cream cheese, nuts , banana bread etc. lunch and dinner would typically be things like steamed or cooked vegetables, pizza, salad with dressing and beans cheese etc. carrot sticks , peanut butter and jelly sandwiches , Mediterranean wraps , veggie burgers, rice crispy treats , fruit, Fish with butter sauce, rice, Amy’s burritos, quesadillas, ice cream, pasta, soy milk etc. snacks were pretty routine like yogurt, bananas, nuts, melons, graham crackers, soy milk, milkshakes, cookies, peanut butter, saltines, cheese sticks, apples, rice crispy treats, dried apricots, granola etc. meals were on a one-week rotation so you would get the same things for every day of the week except every week there would be add-ons and/or bigger portion sizes.
Did they supplement? How did that system work?
if you didn’t finish your meal or snack, they would supplement it with ensure plus. They measure it out so it’s calorie for calorie replacement. However if you mixed items (Graham crackers with yogurt or things like that) and you don’t finish you will be replaced fully for both items. If you don’t drink the supplement they will tube you.
What is the policy of not complying with meals?
supplementation or tube feeding.
Are you able to be a vegetarian?
yes, but they still will give vegetarians fish so that has to be 1 of your 3 dislikes.
What privileges are allowed?
electronics, you can use your bathroom 30 min after meals, you can just chill all day and have visitors or whatever, you can go outride to the patio, etc.
Does it work on a level system?
only medically. When you come in for the first 24 hours at least you were on strict medical bedrest. You then have to stay there until your heart rate stays above 40 beats at night And then they move you to a wheelchair, where you can get wheeled to groups or meals but you still can’t walk. However if you are on prolong bedrest they may make modified changes so you can at least get out of your room or have a physical therapist come give you some mellow stretches. Once your heart rate doesn’t dip below 45 at night You get moved to standard, were you can basically walk around, but obviously if they catch you doing laps you’ll get in trouble. In order to leave you must be on standard for at least 24 (typically when people start walking again their vitals can get kind of wonky so this is why)
How do you earn privileges?
there is none. just comply and get stable so you can leave.
What sort of groups do they have?
discharge group, drama group, pet therapy, OT, arts/crafts, karaoke/games, process, relaxation, nutrition
What was your favorite group?
nutrition
What did you like the most?
how chill it was
What did you like the least?
its a locked unit and some nurses can be strict/annoying. it can also be frustrating when your body is taking longer to stabilize.
Would you recommend this program?
absolutely. only for medical stabilization tho, they aren’t a ‘treatment center’
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
just light stretching in relaxation group and walking (when approved)
What did people do on weekends?
visitation, arts, crafts, movies, etc. a lot of downtime just like the week.
Do you get to know your weight?
every Monday if your parents say its okay (if you’re over 18 you can choose tho)
How fast is the weight gain process?
3-5 lbs a week.
What was the average length of stay?
like 5-13 days. some people stay longer or shorter tho.
What was the average age range?
10-25
How do visits/phone calls work?
you can have visitors and phones all day
What is the electronics policy? (ex: cell phones, iPods, Kindle, laptop, tablets)
full privileges
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?
yes they do. they also have an outpatient clinic. they do recommend residential if you’ve been hospitalized before.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?
people come here from all over the world! its the best
What were meals like?
breakfast examples:
– french toast, almonds, syrup, butter, hard boiled egg, honeydew, soy,
– banana bread, butter, soy, eggs, pineapple
– oatmeal, banana, brown sugar, walnuts, eggs, soy
– cereal or granola, soy, walnuts, cantaloupe, eggs
– english muffin or bagel , pb, cc or butter, eggs, soy, cranberry juice cocktail
– whole wheat toast, oj, butter or pb, eggs, soy
– pancakes, eggs, butter, syrup, soy, pineapple, unsweetened applesauce
lunch examples:
– pb j, banana, chips, carrots, ranch, soy
– mediterranean wrap, olives, peaches, chips, soy
– burrito or quesadilla, peas and carrots, soy, sour cream, grapes, rice krispy, watermelon, cranberry juice cocktail
– tofu, rice veg, ice-cream, apple juice
– cod, butter sauce, rice, rice krispy, soy, apple slices
– chana masala, whole wheat tortilla or pita, broccoli, soy, yogurt sauce, mixed fruit
– veg pasta, soy, rice krispy
snack items: pb, graham, cookies, soy, milkshakes, sorbet, ice-cream, dried fruit, nuts, cheese sandwiches, banana bread, fruit, yogurt, wheat thins, saltines, apple slices, cheese stick, rice krispy, granola
dinner examples:
– rice pilaf, tofu, green beans, soy, peaches
– pizza, garden salad, shredded cheese, kidney beans, dressing, soy
– pasta, saue, green beans, soy
– veg burger, cheese, mayo, soy, ice-cream, tangerines
– salmon, rice, veg, soy, rice kripsy
updated review from an anonymous user
STANFORD (the official name is the Comprehensive Care Unit at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital)
When were you there? December 2013, March 2017, October 2018. About a week each time.
How many patients on average? 10-15
Does it treat both males and females? Yes
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, therapist, nutritionist, etc? You see an MD every day. I think psychiatrist/psychologist is daily, too. Nutritionist…maybe like twice a week? It’s really just a stabilization program, so you’re not doing much therapy, more like supporting you while you’re there.
What is the staff ratio to patients? Pretty high? 1:3, I wanna say? They do 1:1s, too
What sort of therapies are used? Like I said, not much actual therapy. It’s a medical stabilization program. The groups are mostly just to pass time between meals. It’s all about the eating.
Describe the average day. Get up and weighed around 6. Breakfast at 8:30. Group. Lunch at 12:30. Group, or maybe school? Snack at 2:30. More group/school/free time. Dinner at 5:30. Group/free time. Snack at 8:30. And then throughout the day, various doctors are pulling people for rounds.
What were meals like? Hospital food. Not bad hospital food, but still hospital food. You get three “dislikes,” and then beyond that, you don’t get any say in the food. You can boost, but if you do it too much, they change it so you get 150% of the calories in boost, to encourage eating actual food. But it doesn’t start out like that, and they’ll tell you if they’re going to do that. There was a lot of peanut butter and graham crackers for snack, PBJs, pasta, burritos, rice, chicken, tasteless green beans, milk/soy milk.
What sorts of food were available or served? See above. Nothing too special, and you don’t get to choose it.
Level system/privileges? The closest thing they had to a level system was bedrest, wheelchair, standard. Everyone starts on bedrest. You stay in bed and they bring you your food on a tray. Once you’re stable on that, you go to wheelchair (you can go to groups and meals in a different room, but you stay in the wheelchair). Then on standard, you get to walk around the unit. Yay.
What sort of groups do they have? I can’t remember the names of the groups, but they were kind of all the same: mostly art, sometimes semi-therapeutic art, sometimes a few worksheets, the occasional process group, art, a game, art, more art, more art. Like I said, they’re really just passing time between meals.
What was your favorite group? None. The groups were dull, but they often let me read or listen to an audiobook during them, so I didn’t mind much.
What did you like the most? I think that for a medical stabilization program, CCP is great, and they do a good job of supporting you, helping you eat enough, sorting out medical issues, etc. It is NOT a therapy program or a treatment program, and they will have you out the door as soon as you’re medically stable for 48 hours. So as long as you come here knowing what to expect, I think you’ll have a good experience, or as good an experience one can ever have in inpatient.
What did you like the least? It got boring at times, but that’s true of all places. There wasn’t anything in particular I disliked about CCP that isn’t a universal feature of ED treatment.
Would you recommend this program? If you’re medically unstable, yeah.
Exercise? Nope.
What did people do on weekends? Same as weekdays, for the most part. Watch movies, sleep, read, listen to music, play games, do art. So much art.
Do you get to know your weight? They didn’t tell me, but it might be different for different people?
How fast is the weight gain process? Really depends on the person and the medical complications, but since it’s a hospital and they’re correcting organ damage and stuff, it can be fast. Like 3 lbs a week.
What was the average length of stay? Maybe like 10-14 days, but some people only stay for two or three, and some are there for weeks or months. It’s all determined by medical stability.
What was the average age range? They take all ages up until 26. The youngest I saw there was eight or nine. Majority are teenagers.
How do visits/phone calls work? Unlimited visiting for parents/family. Friends can come, just not during meals and certain groups. You get to have your cell phone, so unlimited phone calls.
What is the electronics policy? You can have your cell phone, iPod, iPad, laptop, whatever.
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? Yeah, they work with you to set up an OP team, or find another facility to transfer to, or whatever you need.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country? I know there’s a Ronald McDonald House. I’m guessing they have pretty good translators/interpretation services.
I’m looking at past reviews and this place seems to have changed very little. I didn’t see anything inaccurate.
LPCH has excellent care for children and adolescents but if you are an adult, (over 21) you are admitted to Stanford general psyc. there is no meal supervision, no bathroom supervision, no individual therapy, etc. you can eat as much or as little as you want. if you are looking to get better or even just to medically stabilize, the adult program is not for you. A better option in the area is alta bates.
Pre-2012 Reviews
When were you there: July 09
Describe the average day: 6am-weight, blood, vitals 8am-shower, get dressed 830am-breakfast 9am-hang out, maybe a group 1215pm-lunch 230pm- snack 300pm- meet with the team 545pm- dinner 830pm- snack 1030pm- bed
What were meals like? on bedrest you eat in bed with a nurse. on wheelchair and standard you eat in the dining room with counselors. 30 minutes for breakfast and snacks. 40 minutes for lunch and dinner. they don’t really care about food rituals as long as you eat.
What sorts of food were available or served? breakfast-pancakes, cereal, french toast, fruit. lunch-sandwiches mostly. dinner- rice, carrots, chicken, fish. snacks- graham crackers, bananas, peanutbutter
Did they supplement? How did that system work? YES. anything you do not eat or finish. entres are 1 ensure + and sides/items are 1/2 ensure +
What privelages are allowed? cell phones, laptops, walking around
Does it work on a level system? bedrest, wheelchair, standard. when vitals imoprove you move to wheelchair. when vitals are stable for 24hours you move to standard (walking).
What sort of groups do they have? most of the time group did not happen. art therapy, media, process, movement,
What was your favorite group? none
What did you like the most? visiting hours are all day
What did you like the least? being in the hospital, annoying nurses, using the commode
Would you recommend this program? to get medically stable…yes
What level of activity or exercise was allowed? none.
What did people do on weekends? eat and do arts & crafts
Do you get to know your weight? no
How fast is the weight gain process? reasonable
What was the average length of stay? 1-2 weeks
What was the average age range? 14-19
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an OP treatment team? refer you to outpatient clinic
How many IP beds? 15
Here goes my experienceWhen were you there: January 2008
Describe the average day: 6oclock wake up, blind weights, blood tests every other day, back to bed till 8:00 am vitals, 8:30 breakfast, community meeting, OT/Relaxation,10:00 Vitals, School, 12:00 vitals, 12:15 Lunch, group, 2:00 vitals, 2:15 snack, school, vitals 4:00, free time, vitals 6:00, 6:15 dinner, post meal distraction, 8:00 vitals, 8:15 snack, post snack distraction.
What were meals like? If you were on bedrest, you got your tray brought to you, and a nurse sat with you until you completed it. You had 30 minutes for breakfast, and 40 minutes for lunch and dinner. If you were on wheelchair or standard, you go to the day room/dining room place and eat with the rest of the patients, and a few nurses. For the most part, the nurses leave you alone and talk about their own stuff. You can do any food rituals you want, they don’t care HOW you eat the food, as long as you get it all down.
What sorts of food were available or served? As hospital food goes, it wasn’t awful… Breakfast was a LOT of eggs… and a LOT of syrup-requiring entrees. Lots of banannas, and milk with every meal and snacks. Lunch usually had a sandwich or other entree, and 3 or 4 sides depending on your meal plan… Tuna, turkey, pb&j, grilled cheese… pretty standard, pretty american. Some days they would send up a kidney bean salad, which was actually rather good. Usually served melon for a fruit at lunch… Snacks consisted of graham crackers and peanut butter, fruit, veggies, and yogurt… Not awful, but just know that they are VERY peanut butter and syrup happy… you get really sick of those by the end of your stay. Dinner is another entree of some kind… Lots of soups/stews, bean burritos, and tons of rice. One night a week they serve fish, which is a nice change. The fish is very good for the most part… the worst part is the meats, though… they tend to be pretty overcooked and dried out. Not bad overall though, especially not for a hospital.
Did they supplement? How did that system work? Yes, 1 can of ensure plus for and entree, and 1/2 can ensure plus for each side dish that is not completed.
What privelages are allowed? Cell phones, laptops, television, ipods. Can walk around when on standard.
Does it work on a level system? Sort Of… When you first arrive you are on “strict medical bedrest”, then you are on wheelchair once your vital signs improve, then you to go standard when your vitals improve even more, then home at 75% of IBW and stable vitals for 48 hours straight.
What sort of groups do they have? Art therapy, OT/Relaxation, Nutrition group, Community Meeting, Process Group
What was your favorite group? OT/Relaxation because we got to sleeeep. and strech. 😀
What did you like the most? How much free time there was.
What did you like the least? the fact that they don’t keep you any longer than to get vitals stable.
Would you recommend this program? Yes, they do a great job stableizing you, the staff is very nice, and very professional… They know what they’re doing medically, which is a very comforting thing when you are in such a compromised state.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed? none. can walk if on standard..
What did people do on weekends? eat. have visitors. watch tv.
Do you get to know your weight? mondays, if deemed appropriate by your therapist.
How fast is the weight gain process? pretty fast, but that is mostly because most people there are medically compromised, so most of it is rebuilding your organs and heart and stuff… I think it’s like 3-5 pounds per week.
What was the average length of stay? I’d say 2 weeks to 6 weeks.
What was the average age range? when I was there it was probably 14-17.