Torrance Memorial Medical Center in California is a nonprofit hospital that offers a specialized inpatient medical stabilization program. The Torrance Memorial Eating Disorders medical unit at provides acute care services for adolescents and young adults (ages 13 to upper 20’s) who are experiencing medical complications as a result of a severe eating disorder. It is designed for individuals who are too medically unstable for traditional inpatient or residential treatment, so need medical care before entering an ED treatment program, or for individuals in long term outpatient treatment who need stabilization during the course of their outpatient care. If you’ve heard of the Denver ACUTE program, this is a similar type of treatment program.
Any reviews? Please post in comments below. You can check out the FAQ and Guidelines for suggested questions. Thank you!
When were you there?
* January 2026-Present
What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?
* It is only inpatient medical stabilization
If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible?
* Yes, and if you want to leave the room you’ll more than likely be required to sit in a wheelchair
How many patients are there on average?
* Its hard to say but right now its only three of us
What genders does it treat?
* All genders
If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people?
* Yes, they’re respectful of pronouns and gender
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc?
* Medical Doctor is everyday, psychiatrist and psychologist a few times a week, same for dietician.
What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
* Theres usually one nurse assistant, one nurse and one lead nurse per patient.
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)?
* No groups because it’s only medical stabilization
Describe the average day:
* You eat three meals and three snacks a day and every thing else is free time.
What were meals like?
* Glorified hospital food and you eat your meal with a staff member rather than with other patients.
What sorts of food were available or served?
* Lots of different options. For breakfast it can be eggs, omelettes, pancakes, waffles, french toast, yogurt, avocado toast etc. Dinner is the same way with options of stir fry, chicken, salman, pasta, etc.
Did they supplement? How did that system work?
* They supplement with vanilla boost only.
What is the policy of not complying with meals? Do most people complete their meals/snacks?
* They highly encourage you drink the vanilla boost but they will not hesitate to tube if you’re not complying or need the extra support.
If applicable: Do they treat ARFID? If so, do they have a separate approach to meals for ARFID?
* Yes. I have arfid and they are treating me as such.
Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan?
* Not sure, as none apply for me but they seem pretty flexible.
What privileges are allowed?
* You can have your phone and electronics during the day just not through meals or during therapy. You also earn laps of your complete your meals.
How do you earn privileges?
* By completing your meals
What sort of groups do they have?
* None
What was your favorite group?
* Not applicable
What did you like the most?
* The staff here are incredibly supportive and really patient with me. You also will get frequent visits from therapy dogs and there’s a healing garden that staff can take you too if you want to get some fresh air.
What did you like the least?
* Sometimes there aren’t enough staff to support one on one meals. If it’s a two on one the staff don’t really talk. they just kind of sit there and watch you and i didn’t find that to be as supportive.
Would you recommend this program?
* Absolutely.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
* Laps if you earned them.
What did people do on weekends?
* Same things as during the week. Sometimes it was boring but i try to keep myself entertained
Do you get to know your weight?
* No.
If applicable: How fast is the weight gain process?
* Not sure.
What was the average length of stay?
* They say 2-4 weeks but it really depends on the person and their needs.
How do visits/phone calls work?
* You have your phone and electronics so you can call anyone anytime as long as it’s not during a meal
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)?
* Same as above.
For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go on outings/passes?
* No, it’s a hospital so you stay at the hospital.
If you have any additional questions my email is beanadamson13@gmail.com ◡̈
When were you there?
More than once, but most recently Summer 2024
If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible?
Yes, it’s a hospital, so I would def say extremely wheelchair accessible
How many patients are there on average?
All the times I’ve been here the census has really differed even throughout the stay, so I don’t feel there’s a super accurate number I can give here, but generally between 1-5. It’s room based treatment though, so regardless of number of patients, you don’t interact with them
What genders does it treat?
All genders as far as I’m aware
If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people?
I don’t have personal experience with this, but I’m openly queer and have never had a single problem with that being very openly known, and there are openly queer staff, so I don’t see this being a problem.
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc?
MD: daily; psychiatrist: as needed, could be never if that’s what’s called for, could be a couple of times; psychologist: 2-3 times a week; dietitian: 2-3 times a week; nurse: multiple times a day
What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
Hard to say, but it didn’t usually feel understaffed, especially compared to like residentials and PHP/IOPs I’ve been in. Sometimes one staff would have to watch two patients at meals/snacks or someone would be put on a camera for a little bit, but that wasn’t an everyday thing.
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)?
The focus is mostly medical stabilization, and most of the time in therapy I feel like I just got asked about my plans and stuff. I feel like I’ve had some therapy kind if trying to understand my upbringing and thought process and stuff. A lot of it was just like understanding symptomatology and such. idk i could prob go more into this if anyone had specific questions, but I’m finding it hard to describe here for some reason.
Describe the average day:
8-8:30 wake up, vitals, gown, weight, change into clothes
8:30- breakfast
9:00-10:30 free time
10:30 Snack
10:45-12:30 free time
12:30 lunch
1:00-3:00(? I might be wrong on this time, it might be 2:30) Snack
3:15-4:00-ish free time
4:00-ish shower
free time after shower until 5:30
5:30 Dinner
6:00-8:30 free time
8:30 snack
Free time for the rest of the night
There’s vitals scattered through there and sessions with therapist and dietitian and doctors coming in and out throughout the day but they’re not always at consistent times.
During free time you can go on your phone or laptop or watch TV or play a video game if you have it with you or craft if you want. The child life specialist will probably ask what you’re into and try to get it for you. You can also go to the conference room for a change of scenery. I mostly chatted during my free time if i was on obs because I love talking and then did work when I wasn’t or did homework or whatever I had to do, but to each their own. You def don’t have to chat with your sitter. They’re very willing to not talk if that’s what you need. But most of them are extremely nice and fun and kind and can engage you on any topic.
There’s also therapy dogs that come sometimes. They’re amazing. I love them all.
What were meals like?
Generally, you sit with a CNA or the child life specialist and get served your tray which is your meal/snack. You’re expected to finish 100% unless it’s like salt or pepper or something like that. I’m like pretty chatty, and sitters were almost always very good with that, and I had pleasant experiences with it. Sometimes if it was someone from the float pool it could get a little awkward, especially if they said something that could be triggering. I think this happened to me during one stay, but really really isn’t common at all. Moreso the uncomfortable experience would be someone not talking. I’ve never really gotten redirected for anything, except maybe once on like “sitting right” but that’s not actually a rule and I didn’t actually have to end up sitting different (which is great bc I like to sit weird).
Sometimes they’ll need to have one staff watching two patients, and then you sit in the doorway with the staff member in the hallway kind of in the middle between the two doors watching both. It’s not really that bad and you can’t see the other patient.
Timing: 30 minutes for meals, 15 (i think) for snacks. Then there’s obs time after and your obs is going to vary based on you and your behaviors and risk factors.
What sorts of food were available or served?
It really really depends on the person. I’ve come in with ARFID symptoms and I’ve come in with combo ARFID/AN symptoms. A decent amount is available. I’m primarily vegetarian so I can only speak to that, but quesadillas with avocado and/or beans, pizza, bagels, salads, some kind of quinoa thing, tofu stir fry and rice, toast, eggs, grilled cheese, pbj, graham crackers, cream of wheat, oatmeal, peanut butter, apples, cinnamon toast, oreos, nilla wafers, trail mix, milk/soy milk and ceral or granola, yogurt, fruit
When my ARFID was really bad I did a lot of Boost VHC and it was really helpful and the dietitian (who I love, but might not be for everyone because she can be a little blunt and strict, but once you kind of get used to how she talks, she’s actually really fun to talk to!) was super accommodating of what I needed to do to be able to eat enough. I think it helps that I was really willing to kind of troubleshoot with her.
Did they supplement? How did that system work?
Yes, so it’s calorie for calorie with Compleat. Some nurses/CNAs will give you a little extra time to finish if you need it if you express that you’re going to finish 100% you just need more time, some won’t, it takes time to figure it out.
What is the policy of not complying with meals?
If you don’t comply, you supplement, if you don’t supplement, it really depends. I’ve been given a pass once I think, as it was phrased to me, out of human compassion (I was having really really bad GI stuff and back to back panic attacks) and I also was tubed pretty shortly into a stay, but I was struggling really bad with ARFID symptoms and really needed it, and expressed that I thought that might need to be the case pre-admission to one of the doctors but still wanted to give it a shot without the tube. I also know they sometimes will just ask people to leave, but it is very individualized here.
Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan?
Yes vegetarian, I was told no vegan, but again it might be individualized, but I really can’t speak to that.
What privileges are allowed?
So I see someone below referring to laps as privileges, but that’s really based more on medical stability than anything. You basically come in with all the privileges you’re gonna get minus laps because of medical stability. You can have your electronics pretty much at all times minus meals/snacks and sessions/with doctors. You can watch TV on the hospital TVs in the room except in the above instances, I was able to work (including Zoom meetings), and I’ve been able to do school virtually with very few problems. You can also craft and such if that’s your thing. They’re super into people doing that. There’s a conference room with all kinds of craft stuff. There’s also board games and you can get your sitter to play if they’re able and willing. Oh, your obs may decrease if you’re not a safety risk and you don’t act on behaviors.
Does it work on a level system?
No
How do you earn privileges?
Like I said laps are based on stability and there’s not much you can do to force that to happen other than eat the food or drink the supplement or comply with the tube or whatever it is in your situation. Every other privilege you’ll have already
If applicable: Is the program trauma-informed?
I would say yes and no. Some nurses and one doctor (maybe one covering weekend doc as well) are very trauma informed and knowledgable or at least more so than a lot of doctors I’ve seen. Some are not, to the point where they’ve given me trauma I still have to talk about in therapy. I do not think this will be the case for a lot of people, but it’s been my experience. I will say that should absolutely not discourage someone from seeking care here. I’ve been after having significant medical trauma from one of the doctors as well as other doctors I’ve seen in my life and was absolutely fine, and very grateful to the other doctors and the nurses and CNAs. I think this program saved my life, I just wish someone would like… idk give that doctor that feedback and that she would be receptive to it. Both and.
What did you like the most?
This is going to sound rude and I’m so sorry. I’ve been to treatment many times and I do not like non-room-based treatment. Other ED patients can be super triggering in so many ways, and I really like not having to deal with that. I love not being called brave for eating an oreo. That’s my personal opinion. Milieus can be really toxic and cliquey and often it feels like high school all over again. I hate that. I’m also autistic and sometimes that can get super overwhelming in those kinds of environments and it’s so nice to just be able to have quiet time and a lot of predictability around the schedule and such.
I also love almost all of the staff. I would say there’s one exception and it is that doctor. Everyone has genuinely been so kind and accommodating with me; staff have asked me questions about autism, about being queer, about trauma, about my experiences (to be better practitioners, which is so valuable, and I def don’t mind answering! they’ve always asked if they can ask something about xyz before they actually ask it.), about my life outside of my eating disorder, my job, all kinds of things that just make me feel like a person and not just like a walking mental illness like I have elsewhere. Everyone has been sensitive and caring.
The therapy dogs also are so good. I love animals. You def don’t have to see them if you don’t though. I opted out of clowns for example because I cannot deal with that.
I also liked being able to work lol, maybe it’s toxic of me, but I love my job and if I had been told I couldn’t I wouldn’t have gone this last time.
What did you like the least?
Some staff can be really strict with rules, which can suck. Sometimes it feels like rules get changed or adapted in ways I don’t understand, which can be hard with my autism (like why is it okay in this instance and not that one; why is x okay when y, but x isn’t okay when z, when it’s still x?… if that makes sense. This is entirely a me thing though). There can be some inconsistency that drives me crazy, but ultimately that’s pretty minor. I do think you need to be able to really advocate for yourself sometimes, and your own knowledge of yourself. Which can be frustrating at times and with certain people, but i want to emphasize that that’s been my experience in most treatment.
Would you recommend this program?
Ultimately, yes
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
none lol it’s a hospital
What did people do on weekends?
weekends are basically the same as any other day, so the same kind of stuff.
Do you get to know your weight?
No, I mean I’ve never asked but you get blind weighed and I’m positive the answer is no so it never felt worth my time to ask.
If applicable: How fast is the weight gain process?
depends on the person and if weight gain is needed. I think probably about 2-3kg per week
What was the average length of stay?
really depends, I know it’s very rare to stay less than 2 weeks.
What was the average age range?
Okay I see some confusion about this below. I asked because I wanted to know. There’s a hard cut off after 26 (meaning when you turn 27) because some of the doctors are purely pediatricians and aren’t able to see older patients and the doctors in charge don’t feel comfortable bringing in adult specialists from other parts of the hospital who don’t know about eating disorders.
How do visits/phone calls work?
Visitors can come during visiting hours as long as it’s not during a meal/snack (I don’t remember visiting hours, I think they end at 8?) and phone calls are basically the same, but theoretically you could probably call all night.
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)?
Discussed above.
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?
So, this depends, I’ve been strong-armed into going to Res before, and I’ve also had them begrudgingly accept that I won’t and I’m not going to. Ultimately, I’m an adult, and if you’re also an adult, they can’t make you do anything. pre-COVID they would kind of just hold you until you agreed, but they stopped doing that. They also are VERY willing to provide referrals to treatment centers if that’s what you want (actually they’re going to do that even if you don’t want it), and before you’re discharged you have a team meeting where they tell you your progress and go over clinical recommendations and next steps.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?
Probably? idk I’m a California resident
Other?
Please feel free to ask me any questions! I may be slow to respond because I have a full-time job, but I’ll get to them eventually (hopefully)!
Hi! Would you mind e-mailing me at humblechickpea@gmail.com? I would like to hear more about the program when you have a chance! Thank you!
Can you please post your questions here rather than sending them in a private email, so that everyone can benefit from the answers? Thank you!
Like Rachel said, I’d really prefer to answer questions here rather than emailing people directly
hey, I might admit here this coming week. got accepted yesterday. did they do any kind of PT/ OT to get you moving since you’re basically just in a hospital bed all day? mostly to just not lose movement tolerance/ go insane laying all day – not to engage in exercise behavior. I think acute does PT/ OT so I was curious.
They definitely do PT!
I never saw PT come to see anyone, but you def don’t just lay down all day. The laps help a lot and you can stand to brush your teeth etc and move from the bed to a chair, go to the conference room and stuff. You could def request PT/OT though they’d prob be open to it!
Hi I noticed that you mentioned having GI issues. If you are comfortable sharing, were they helpful/understanding around that?
I would say generally yes. I have gastroparesis that they actually diagnosed and they were extremely understanding of it. I also have pretty bad abdominal pain and nausea that they were understanding of and really severe emetophobia that they worked around as much as they could.
I also may not be fully comprehending what you mean by helpful/understanding around GI issues (sorry, my autism can make some things really hard to parse). Can you help me understand more what you mean?
That is mostly what I meant. Like they were extremely understanding of your gastroparesis. How did they work around your nausea and emetophobia if you are comfortable sharing? By understanding, I meant like were they forceful and and almost rude to you about it, or they worked with you on it?
I took as much zofran as i was medically able to take for my nausea. When I came in, [TW] I had panic attacks at the idea of attempting to eat food outside of my narrow range of safe food because of my emetophobia, so the attending talked it through with me and we agreed to a tube with no food presented for a few days and then slowly introducing snacks that felt safer until we got up to meals and met my meal plan goal and came off tube [END TW]. They also gave me rescue anxiety meds and talked me through the fear of using them and encouraged me to use them when needed (but never forced me to!).
The dietitian was also very willing to meet me where I was at with my ARFID and gave me foods that I was able to complete with and let me rely on Boost VHC for the rest of the calorie needs. They also do not shame for using supplement or needing to supplement for a meal/snack at all. You have to sit for the meal/snack regardless, but they won’t be mean, shaming, or rude about needing or wanting to supplement, especially for anxiety reasons relating to emetophobia and/or ARFID. No one was ever forceful about it in the slightest, and they were actually extremely compassionate about the fear.
When I couldn’t take zofran (like too soon for another dose), they would try to talk me through the fear or offer non-pharmaceutical alternatives (like peppermint tea, deep breathing, hot packs, or something to distract me).
I mainly have ARFID, so YMMV depending on your primary dx.
I was wondering if you are open to emailing about some things that I do not want to crowd the review page with? I know you responded to someone asking about that on here saying you’d prefer to answer questions on here, so if not that is totally okay. I just have more personal questions (about me not you of course) that I do not really want to post on here and they apply more to me so I don’t necessarily think everyone could benefit from the answers. If you are not comfortable, that is totally okay! Just let me know 🙂 Thank you so much and I hope you are doing well.
Do you get to go outside at all?
Yes, there’s a garden you can go to with visitors or a sitter, you just have to be in a wheelchair
If anyone has any questions I would be happy to share as I was just discharged from there so I have up to date info ?
Fabulous! To everyone with questions, please post them below rather than asking if you can email them, so that everyone else can get the answers too 🙂
can you do a review with all the basic questions that are listed and what you cease to answer I’ll post questions!
I left this review a few posts down but here it is again 🙂
When were you there? July-September 2022
If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible? Yes being that it is in a hospital
How many patients are there on average? It depends and changes frequently the average was around 3-4
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined? You have a private room
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc? You see Dr’s daily and you have therapy and your dietitian 3 times a week
What is the staff-to-patient ratio? It’s a hospital unit so it just depends
Describe the average day:
Wake up around 7:50-8
Vitals and weight first thing when you get up
Get ready for the day
Breakfast
Free time and monitoring
Snack
Free time and monitoring
Vitals
Lunch
Free time and monitoring
Snack
Vitals
Free time and monitoring
Shower
Dinner
Free time and monitoring
Vitals
Free time
Snack
Free time
Bed time
What were meals like? Meals just varied everyday and were picked out by your dietitian so it changes everyday
What sorts of food were available or served?
Did they supplement? How did that system work? All sorts of food were available pretty much your standard hospital menu and yes you could supplement for anything you didn’t finish and you were allowed 15 minutes to complete the supplement after the meal if over
What is the policy of not complying with meals? You must supplement
Are you able to eat vegetarian? Yes
What privileges are allowed? It’s a standard hospital so you have a TV provided as well as you can have electronics and bring any crafts you’d like while there
Does it work on a level system? Yes the more you comply and make progress you can get “laps” added which are small walks around the unit you will eventually earn 1 and they’ll get added usually weekly the most you can get is 6 though
How do you earn privileges? By complying and continuing to make progress
What sort of groups do they have? No group
What did you like the most? That you could have electronics and you’re allowed to go outside to the garden in a wheelchair throughout the day also all of the staff and doctors are very nice and sometimes you’ll get visits from the hospital dogs or volunteers I also likes that you can have visitors during regular hospital visiting hours
What did you like the least? There was nothing I didn’t like
Would you recommend this program? Yes 1000 times
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
As I mentioned above you can earn “laps” but other than that no activity really
What did people do on weekends?
Weekends were the same as weekdays other than it’s more down time being you usually don’t have any appointments
Do you get to know your weight? No
How fast is the weight gain process? Not sure as it varies with everyone
What was the average length of stay? Depends I’ve seen people there a week and I was there almost 2 months
What was the average age range? Not sure but mostly teens and young adults
How do visits/phone calls work? You can have visits during regular hospital visiting hours and you can have your phone all day
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)? You can have any electronics other than a smart watch
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team? Yes they will give their recommendation and help you have plans for after before discharge
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country? No but they will accept patients from all over
If applicable: How is the program responding to COVID? (Less patients, virtual programming, no visitors, masks, social distancing, etc) You must wear a mask whenever leaving your room
Other? Nothing really more about the program other than it is an awesome program and I am extremely blessed to have been about to go. I am forever grateful for the treatment team as well as all of the assistants they have made a huge impact on my life and I will never forget them I’ve been home 2 months now and I still miss them daily lol
Hi!
For people seeking medical stabilization: Torrance Memorial is taking people from out of state again!
*cross-posted by admin from client general forum*
Are there any reviews for this year?
There is one literally right below this comment
It sounds very familiar to acute. Can you graduate up from getting away from your sitter all day?
Not all day, but for a lot of the day, yes. You’re always going to have obs for meals/snacks and some amount of time after (i think it’s like an hour after meals 30 minutes after snacks? but i could be misremembering). But if you can demonstrate safety etc, you can be without a sitter pretty much always outside of those obs periods.
you don’t have a sitter all day. it’s during the meal and 1 hour observation (or 30 minutes for snacks) after. family/visitors can do the observation after the meal.
You said that the menu is on their website? I looked on the website. Where can I find it? Also, does this treat adults as well?
cap is 26, menu can be found on yelp
they’re like constantly changing the ages, but right now it’s a hard cut off on your 26th birthday because of not having an adult GI. I know some of the clinical staff wants to change this but idk if it’s going to end up changing.
The menu on the website isn’t totally accurate for ED patient choices. The dietitian gave me one for the ED program one of the times I was there, but unfortunately i think it’s lost to time in my email.
*TW: SI* i don’t know if anyone knows this and i know torrence is a very individualized program, but how do they deal with suicidality? do they take people with a history of it or people who have had recent attempts? i know it’s not a psych ward so i assume they are not going to take someone who is actively very suicidal but i also was wondering if anyone knew if they would take someone who is no longer actively very suicidal but was not long ago. thank you so much for your help if anyone knows
In my experience, yes to a history of (*TW*) ideation and attempt(s) in the past and even recent ideation (no idea about recent attempts) (*END TW*).
I know they will sometimes have people wear paper scrubs for a short period of time for (*TW*) self harm [like recent, fresh self harm] because of the way the system codes self harm vs suicide (I think the system can’t delineate self harm from suicide attempt) (*END TW*) but they can clear you after you talk to psych. They will also prob have you on 24hr sitter/one on one and discuss specifics with you (like what might help/make things worse, what are non-negotiables for them in regards to safety [like having a sitter]).
But a history of (TW) SI/SH (END TW) that is in the past (idk the specifics of your situation so can’t speak to that) may just be a discussion to figure out the risk and then kind of a wait and see approach as to what you need with one on one/sitter time. I’ve had 24hr line of sight one on one before and I’ve also had only an hour after meals and 30min after snacks before and/or just a camera for that length of time before at different times, and I have both a history of (TW) SI, SH, and an attempt (END TW).
Usually the people who are sitters for the EDU are super nice, and might even teach you to crochet, so it’s really not bad at all. I got really good at Mancala one stay, and everyone is both willing to yap when you want to and leave you alone when you don’t.
Not saying you wouldn’t be for any reason, but when I’ve been extremely honest with the doctors (or the ones I’m comfortable with) they’ve been very reasonable and willing to work with me. I only mention that because I have a huge huge huge fear of being in trouble at all times for voicing any kind of pain, physical or emotional, and with the psychologist, RD, and Dr.B I never felt at all like I was in trouble when I talked about it, and actually their reactions made me feel a lot more comfortable being vocal about it generally.
Sorry this is longer than I meant it to be. Please feel absolutely free to ask follow ups/etc. 🙂
no thank you this response was really helpful and kind. i also totally understand the honesty thing i have a fear of being in trouble too. so it sounds like psych would decide if you are on 1:1 or not? how often would you see psych or if you were on a 1:1 and looking to get cleared, they would come to see you? thanks so much for your help this was a really good response don’t apologize for the length it was perfect 🙂
The doctor(s) and/or psychologist (not psychiatrist) would probably decide initially (like on admitting) about 1:1s and may consult with the psychiatrist on it. If you were an immediate (TW) suicide risk or were actively self harming (END TW) they would probably have you speak to the psych (I think she does video visits) and you would probably have to wear paper scrubs at least for a time. But generally, she arranges all that with the main doctors, so you won’t have to do anything extra.
You will be on a 1:1 for a short period of time regardless (everyone is), and the team (doctors, psychologists, and psych) generally decides when to take you off it. You can always ask them about it. They’re usually very open to discussing it. And even when you’re off of 24hr 1:1, you’ll still have some sort of 1:1 time after meals/snacks.
Once when I was a safety risk, they had me talk to the hospital social worker to be cleared to not be in paper scrubs, but that might’ve been before the psychiatrist started, my timeline on that is a little fuzzy because it was a few years ago (pre-pandemic).
Hi! I’m curious if anyone has experience at Torrance vs ACUTE? I know ACUTE changed their structure + rules recently. Thank you!
Just wanted to post on here bc I keep getting emails about this program and food choices. I have gastroparesis. I can’t eat by mouth. My Ed is in remission. I am sick due to gastroparesis. It’s quite annoying waking up to emails about “can I have the menu” I get it you’re all starving. (Literally) but if my email was used on this thread can it please be taken down. I have NEVER been to this program. I don’t know the schedule nor the food choices. Thank you
Looks like you included it in a reply here: https://edtreatmentreview.com/torrance-memorial/#comment-29471. I just redacted it. I’m about to redact the other emails on that thread too. My assumption is that people think you would have the menu because you had asked someone to email it to you, and they are being disrespectful and contacting you without your consent to ask you to indulge their eating disorder-related anxieties, and without considering what it might feel like for the recipient to see an email pop up on their phone from a stranger with an eating disorder about food. To be clear folks, it’s NOT appropriate behavior to send emails to random people on EDTR who happened to have shared their email unless they shared their email for the EXPRESS purpose of allowing people being able to contact them with questions. Just post your dang questions on the forum! It’s not like you can’t post on here anonymously. No one, not even admins, can figure out who you are (nor would we want to, lol!). And if your question would be against the rules to post publicly, or is clearly ED-driven, so that’s why you don’t want to ask it publicly… well if that ain’t a sign it is something you shouldn’t be emailing people directly, especially sans consent (or even assent!), I don’t know what is!
This is exactly why EDTR’s policy for over a decade was to never allow email addresses to be posted, no exceptions. Since becoming Admin I have loosened this policy. But if things like what people did to L continue to happen to others we will need to put a moratorium on allowing email addresses to go up. This is because safety comes first. Safety, first and foremost! Folks, please don’t put the community into a position where this could happen, it would be a big disservice to many people and keep a lot of people from finding treatment.
Thank you so much Rachel. I do not mean to be harsh. It is just frustrating when my illness has progressed and I wish so badly I could eat by mouth so getting these emails can throw me off a bit. I appreciate you and this website its incredibly helpful to some in need even me at times, sadly now its different.
Can they force NG tubes if your not complaint and your an adult? Do they also let you pick your food. I’m like mostly medically stables my labs are good just blood pressure and struggle with behaviors. I work and I only want a few days
Yes,
you can’t choose how many days you want? It’s up to the doctors. You may not be eligible to get into the program they’re a medical stabilization program so you will probably be redirected to a residential facility to better suit your needs
For those of you asking, you can find the full hospital menu on Yelp as I have posted it 🙂
they have a few other things that may not be on the main menu but your dietician can I’ll elaborate more on that. It’s almost better to go in not knowing what to expect because I don’t want to sway anyone away from the program so I will no longer be sending the menus to those who ask.
I can’t find it on yelp. What is it under?
Would you mind adding the link here?
No sorry that’s for you to find some people may find it triggering and want to go in the program without knowing anything about it
does torrance do iv’s often? to replace electrolytes or for fluids? i saw below where it said they do picc’s, but i would assume they would do peripheral iv’s first unless they were doing tpn (which wouldn’t make much sense)? i was just confused reading that so does anyone know how often they’ll do iv’s and if they’re peripherals or not? some hospitals make you have an iv placed upon admission just in case of an emergency and im wondering if torrance is like that? im very afraid of needles, but it wouldn’t steer me away from the program or anything if they often place iv’s, i guess im just wondering how common it is. but picc’s scare me a lot so do they place picc’s often?
one more question i have is if they do tube feeds? if you don’t finish your meal or supplement will they do tube feeds? and will it be in and out tube feeds or they’ll just leave it in, and then like maybe if you finish all your meals and supplements for like 48 hours they’ll pull it out type of thing? i have trauma from nasal tubes and my nostrils are really small so it’s just like a really really traumatic experience for me. and will they do ng feeds every time (which go to your stomach) or will they do nj feeds if discussed and needed (which go to your small intestine which helps with digestive issues)?
if you only have the answer to one of these questions, feel free to just answer for those, i know i asked a lot! thank you so much for your help!
Doing a picc is rare in my case I had a deathly low potassium level of about XX so it was necessary. As for ivs they will place one if you’re admitted to the hospital first which would only be because your blood levels are dangerously low or dangerously elevated. I personally opted to supplement for dishes I didn’t like, never did I get warned or threatened about an NG tube so it is rare but I do know they place them because there was commotion one night of a girl who *** had to get one placed in order to get her proper nutrition but instead she somehow managed to get her parents to take her out of treatment. But it’s rare for the doctor who started the program to place one. But I heard she isn’t part of the program anymore so it could have changed
does anyone have a recent full review of torrance memorial?
does anyone know how long the current wait list is? or how long the wait list usually is? is it like on average 6 ish weeks?
You’ll have to call and ask sometimes it could be next day or a week usually two weeks or less
Are they strict with the age cap? I’m a a few years over 26, and I may need to look at medical stabilization options
Unfortunately yes as the doctors are pediatric doctors running the program, the main dr who started the program no longer works there. I did speak to them recently regarding the age cap.
Do you happen to know where the doctor who started the program is now? If they are at a hospital, I wonder if that hospital can now provide medical stabilization too, even if not officially…
You definitely can it would be an er admit and any Hospitalist Dr. can do it as I have done that many times before when I didn’t want to commit to staying in the ED program I just needed a boost. If you have anywhere I can email you the original doctors webpage where you can get ahold of her as she still runs an outpatient and sees patients that way I’m not sure if she sees up to a certain age but I know if you’re willing to recover she will definitely give anyone a chance. She’s strict but means the best and I didn’t like her at first when I entered the program but she really did help me and now we’re on the best of terms and I still keep in contact with her as she mentors me for my degree I’m perusing. if you have any other questions please feel free to ask
Hi there. I’m needing medical stabilisation though am 34 years old and do not want to return to Acute. Can you still get medically stabilised if you admit through Torrence hospital ER unit? I would be travelling overseas (I’m from out of country) but needing medical stability.
age cap is 26
Does anyone know if Torrance is willing to discharge patients to virtual PHP/IOP or virtual outpatient for aftercare? Or is a step down to inpatient/residential required?
Last time I was there step down was required (two years ago) but I have since been told they have new doctors, it definitely does not hurt to ask before you admit.
i was here in june 2023 and left back to outpatient
this is super helpful to know! could you do a full review if you haven’t already? I’d love to hear more about your experience and potentially see menus if you have them! no worries if not though 🙂
yes of course! so i was only there about a week. i signed myself out impulsively because I was upset with the doctor for not listening to me about my GI issues, when I knew what was helpful specifically for me, they pushed a more generalized GI approach even though I knew what helped in the past. I was upset and left, which I did regret later that day.
Some pros of the program for me were very few clients you rarely saw and being on a reg hospital unit i found this to be easier and not triggering and a more helpful environment. also you can go outside multiple times a day whenever, there just needs to be a CNA available to take you out. When I was there there was only 2 of us and sometimes 1 CNA would be scheduled. you get your electronics all the time, similar to acute.
Some cons for me was I did feel like I was treated as a child and was not listened to about what i thought was best and wanted to do even though I was an adult. Also you have to sit the full time for meals and snacks and supplement can’t get up when done. Also, you see the dietitan virtually, maybe in person once a week. i found it really frustrating to not have a dietitan in person on the unit every day for when issues came up w meal plan etc.
When you first get there the dietitan picks all your meals and snacks. i also found this very frustrating. so a day or two after being there the dietitan gave me a list of options for each meal and snack and i gave her a few options of what i’d like for each meal and snack and then she only gave me what i asked for which was good.
you shower there around like 5 pm i think every night and that’s the only time you can shower. the staff and CNAs were amazing, but again i felt like i was treated like a child but i guess that’s given since it’s a child’s unit.
if you have more questions lmk! also if you want to give me your email I can send you the food options!
thank you SO much for sharing about your experience!!! this is really helpful. I don’t think I have any other specific questions but my email is [redacted] if you don’t mind sending the menus / food options! (rachel, could you redact my email from this after – thank you for all that you do!!!)
Yep! And thank you ❤️
I got in touch with both anon and sarah so please redact my email whenever you get the chance! thank you again!
Yay! Done
I have the menu to the entire hospital which can give you some idea of what they have and different combinations of food you can ask for if you’d like me to email it to you I can. This is what they let me do while I was on the unit which they might let you do as well
that would be great, Sarah! thank you!
Could I please get a copy also? My email address is [redacted].
Hi,
I know this was written awhile ago but I am in desperate need of help. Can you email me if you’d recommend? And the food choices please?
what is your email?
ah sorry! [redacted]. Thank you!
Please take this down Rachel!
Done.
hi i know this was a while ago but can you please email me the food options? my email is [redacted]! thank you so much! is the menu for the unit different than the rest of the hospital or it’s the same? like it’s a hospital-wide menu? also Rachel can you please redact my email when anon sees this or if they don’t within like a week? thank you so much!
okay i got in contact with someone so you can redact my email now! thank you so much!
Done!
Hi! Thank you for sharing your experience! Would you mind sharing the menu to my email humblechickpea@gmail.com? Thanks!
I am in the process of requesting admission and have several questions if anyone could answer them:
Do they allow coffee or hot tea outside of meals?
Are you confined to a bed or able to move about the room?
Do they have ensure clear or Kate farms (I have several GI issues)?
Are you allowed to avoid dairy if you have severe issues with it?
Thank you so much in advance.
It has to be black coffee and is only served with meals. You can have water any time if you’re not on liquid protocol. I was on liquid protocol so I’m not sure if they offer tea outside of meal time
they don’t want you walking around the room so you will get redirected for making your bed or getting up to get something from across the room. As time passes and you are getting more healthy they become more relaxed with it.
no they only offer boost vanilla :/ I know the hospital offers ensure clear so maybe you can try and get an approval for it. Good luck!!
yes! They offer a lot of lactose free dairy free options with liquids unfortunately not so with yogurt or cheese and don’t hesitate to make a sample menu of what you like and give it to the dietitian after you’ve been there long enough to see some options because I did that and she really stuck to it and gave me all my favorite meals. Otherwise she’ll serve you something like I got before I did that….pbj tomato soup and chocolate milk??? Like what?? Lol
but good luck with your journey I’m wishing you nothing but the best sweetheart! We’re all rooting for you!
Does anyone know the age cut off at Torrance?
26 i believe
does anyone know how long the wait list is and if they’re accepting out of state people?
Does anyone know if Torrance Memorial will take someone if they go through the ER? I know their wait list is long rn, but I’m wondering if I go through the ER if I can get in that way.
No unfortunately they won’t
What does the waiting list look like? Also wondering?
Usually about 3-8 weeks usually depends on amount of beds open on adult side
Hello,
Has anyone been here recently? How does this program compare to ACUTE? And any idea at current wait situation?
Hello.
I’ve never been to acute so I can’t compare but the current wait is about a month or two. I was here back in 2020 and I as much as I hated being there (I was forced into going) it was a really great program. I recently made the choice to look into going again because I have been struggling, which was my choice this time so that says volumes about how helpful it was
Hi Rachel,
Their age cut-off is now 26th birthday as of last March 2022 (same as UCSF, UCLA, and Stanford). So the oldest that can be on the unit is 25.
Just wanted people to know!
This is untrue as I just turned 26 in July and was told by the doctor who runs the program I can still be accepted just fyi 🙂
I just spoke to admissions on 11/3 and they confirmed 26 is the cap
She’s probably making an exception for you. The new age cutoff is 26 birthday. It used to be older (35) and I actually went there as a 26 and 27 year old, but as of March they lowered it to 26. They also told admissions staff at Denver Acute and Rady Children’s Hospital this so that they would stop referring older people there.
It’s such a shame… older people are having fewer and fewer options for medical stabilization. For certain insurances if you are above a certain age and can’t medically qualify for unit-based inpatient your only option is to attempt to stabilize at a local hospital with no ED protocol.
If anyone has been to Torrance and has any information that you wouldn’t mind sharing (i.e. an admissions packet, menus/meal plans, etc.), could you please email me i will share my info when i get a reply so the admin could delete it after
Yes me too please!
I was there a year ago and would be happy to share/answer any specific questions!
Do you have menus or any sort of food option lists they offer? I can share my email if so
If you have the admission packet and menus that would be helpful!
The admissions application packet is downloadable from the website. There is no “packet” they give you upon admission as of 2021. There are rules sheets though that they tape to the walls of the room that I have photos of. The menus were emailed to me by their dietitian. However, I only got to choose off of the menus on my second stay there.
Thank you A! (And I’ve loved getting the updates from you on here on the CA medical stabilization programs – so grateful.)
To the community, I would highly encourage people to challenge their anxieties and not request photos from A.
Thank you for your response, do you think you can email me the menus you received? [redacted] if you could please delete Rachel after A replys.
I just sent them to your email!
Could you please send them to me as well if you don’t mind? Thank you 🙂
[redacted]
Please remove my email. Thank you 🙂
Done!
Could you send them to me as well?
[redacted]
(Rachel please delete after A sends, thanks!)
Emails redacted for Anon and for J.
Sunshiney/A – let me know when it has been sent and I will redact it!
Got it, please remove me now thanks!!!!
Excellent! Done. Also let me know if there are any other spots on the site I need to redact your email! 🙂
can you send it to me too please
[redacted]
Sounds like A has more or less the same documents that I do. I am Vegan and so due to the limited options, the dietican chose my meals default so I never was given menus. My email is ejl2000@comcast.net if you have any specific questions or want to chat about my experience 🙂
If love a copy of the menus and admissions info if you could still! Thanks!
[redacted]
When were you there? July-September 2022
If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible? Yes being that it is in a hospital
How many patients are there on average? It depends and changes frequently the average was around 3-4
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined? You have a private room
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc? You see Dr’s daily and you have therapy and your dietitian 3 times a week
What is the staff-to-patient ratio? It’s a hospital unit so it just depends
Describe the average day:
Wake up around 7:50-8
Vitals and weight first thing when you get up
Get ready for the day
Breakfast
Free time and monitoring
Snack
Free time and monitoring
Vitals
Lunch
Free time and monitoring
Snack
Vitals
Free time and monitoring
Shower
Dinner
Free time and monitoring
Vitals
Free time
Snack
Free time
Bed time
What were meals like? Meals just varied everyday and were picked out by your dietitian so it changes everyday
What sorts of food were available or served?
Did they supplement? How did that system work? All sorts of food were available pretty much your standard hospital menu and yes you could supplement for anything you didn’t finish and you were allowed 15 minutes to complete the supplement after the meal if over
What is the policy of not complying with meals? You must supplement
Are you able to eat vegetarian? Yes
What privileges are allowed? It’s a standard hospital so you have a TV provided as well as you can have electronics and bring any crafts you’d like while there
Does it work on a level system? Yes the more you comply and make progress you can get “laps” added which are small walks around the unit you will eventually earn 1 and they’ll get added usually weekly the most you can get is 6 though
How do you earn privileges? By complying and continuing to make progress
What sort of groups do they have? No group
What did you like the most? That you could have electronics and you’re allowed to go outside to the garden in a wheelchair throughout the day also all of the staff and doctors are very nice and sometimes you’ll get visits from the hospital dogs or volunteers I also likes that you can have visitors during regular hospital visiting hours
What did you like the least? There was nothing I didn’t like
Would you recommend this program? Yes 1000 times
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
As I mentioned above you can earn “laps” but other than that no activity really
What did people do on weekends?
Weekends were the same as weekdays other than it’s more down time being you usually don’t have any appointments
Do you get to know your weight? No
How fast is the weight gain process? Not sure as it varies with everyone
What was the average length of stay? Depends I’ve seen people there a week and I was there almost 2 months
What was the average age range? Not sure but mostly teens and young adults
How do visits/phone calls work? You can have visits during regular hospital visiting hours and you can have your phone all day
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)? You can have any electronics other than a smart watch
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team? Yes they will give their recommendation and help you have plans for after before discharge
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country? No but they will accept patients from all over
If applicable: How is the program responding to COVID? (Less patients, virtual programming, no visitors, masks, social distancing, etc) You must wear a mask whenever leaving your room
Other? Nothing really more about the program other than it is an awesome program and I am extremely blessed to have been about to go. I am forever grateful for the treatment team as well as all of the assistants they have made a huge impact on my life and I will never forget them I’ve been home 2 months now and I still miss them daily lol
is it mandatory to be discharged to a place after completing the program?
I don’t believe it is mandatory but they will want you to have some plan in place before discharging
What kind of food do they serve? Do they always follow you to the bathroom like other programs?
Also do you get any privacy at all or are you just watched 24/7, being an adult I like some sort of privacy I’m not a baby who needs to be bc babysat all day you know?
Hi! As far as meals go, it is pretty standard hospital food (decent quality and fresh though). The dietician respected my ethical vegan diet so my meals were pretty repetitive but a typical day included oatmeal, brown sugar, raisins and soy milk for breakfast, trail mix for am snack, quinoa and pita chip salad for lunch, pretzel and hummus for after noon snack, tofu stir fry for dinner and clif bar for night snack. Items like fruit, juice or soy milk, graham crackers, etc were added to meals and snacks as the meal plan increased.
Monitoring is only for designated periods following meals and often they would just have someone sit in the hallway where they could keep eyes on two or three ed patients at a time or using a baby monitor depending on staff availability. The CNAs and nurses were incredible though and very respectful of need for privacy and autonomy. I spent most of the day doing crafts or watching Netflix on my laptop or reading. Staff would come in to do vitals, meds, take you on laps or go to the garden, daily check ins with Dr. S or Dr. B and one of the GI doctors and once a week sessions with psych. You also have three sessions a week with a psychologist from what I remember and dietican 1-2x weekly. Also the Child Life Specialist (who is perhaps the most incredible person I’ve ever met) comes in to chat/bring you activities/take you to the garden,etc everyday. Basically you are given a lot of privacy, but days are busy enough that you are getting a lot of human interaction.
Bathrooms were monitored with the door cracked and all output was recorded for medical purposes. Again they were always very respectful of privacy while maintaining safety for patients.
I’ve been to many facilities throughout the years and Torrance is above and beyond the best. The only program I can honestly recommend. It is tough going through refeeding, but they offer the most holistic, comprehensive, compassionate care out there. Hope this helps!
Does anyone have an updated 2022 review for Torrance
I just posted a recent review!
If anyone has been to Torrance and has any information that you wouldn’t mind sharing (i.e. an admissions packet, menus/meal plans, reviews, etc.), could you email pumpkinwooferson@gmail.com? I am deciding between Torrance and ACUTE for medical stabilization and I’m having trouble finding info on Torrance. Thank you so much!
*Admin Note:
Please post Torrance info as a reply here. The only things that should be sent via email are things that are documents, like admissions packets, and answers to triggering questions. Reviews, thoughts, information, menus/meal plans, etc, about a program should be posted on the site for everyone to benefit from, they should not withheld from the community and then sent via email to one person. It is why we created the ability to post anonymously! It goes against the purpose of the website and the community, which is to be a resource to everyone. If you email one person offsite, no one else gets to find out the stuff that might save their life too. Thank you!
I just posted a recent review!
Do they take MedicAid insurance?
No
Would anyone whose been through Torrance’s medical stabilization unit recently be able to talk with me/answer questions/provide information about it? It’s really urgent so I would hugely appreciate anyone who’s willing to take the time. Thank you!!
Hi, I need some updated information about the admissions process and program ASAP! If someone that has been here recently could get in touch with me that would be awesome. I will likely be admitting within the next week.
Could someone whose been here recently leave an updated review asap? Specifically detailing meals/snacks and what they serve, how food works, are patients confined to bed or can they be up in the room (obviously not moving around/exercising in any way or pacing but being able to stand up when needed), can they hold a patient against their will here, how are they with medication (like allowing PRNs when requested–appropriately of course–vs being restrictive with them), what is the level of observation, and whatever other info you could think to provide. This is super urgent so I would really appreciate whatever info anyone can provide. Thank you!
Hey H! Can you send me an email? admin@edtreatmentreview.com I will help with this.
Hey can someone please answer my questions. Its urgent
Is there currently a waiting list? If so, how long is it????
How long do you get to complete each meal/snack? I have sma and crohns so it takes me a long time to eat?
What time are meals there???
Do they start really low with meal plans? I would be going from eating X, so it makes me nervous?
How long do people stay there until being released back home?
I just need to be more stable medically so I can heal at home?
Do you get to choose your own meals?
Are they understanding with time limits there?
What is there rate of weight gain? I get traumatized if it’s any quicker than 1-2 pounds a week?
They dont do IVs usually right?! I have trauma with that?
Does anyone have a schedule for the day?
Can someone give a sample day of a starting meal plan?
I’m also allergic to nuts, lactose, pineapple,kiwi, and have crohns. Will they respect that?
Can someone please answer my questions ASAP?!
Hi Cheyanne! There is currently a waitlist. It’s pretty long. You should call to put yourself on it ASAP, rather than waiting to do so until you are feeling 100% ready to go. If you wait until you feel safe in going to get on the waitlist, by the time there is a bed it simply may be too late. I know too many people who have passed away from their eating disorder because they have put off treatment until they felt 100% ready to go. I will answer some of your questions later today when I have the chance; I have not been there myself but know a lot about the program. But please do not wait until you have all the questions answered to call, okay?
Thank you so much my dear. I was just very confused because when I called yesterday they said there wasnt a waiting list. But I’m pretty sure she misinformed me because I have a friend who’s been waiting to go for weeks! Thank you for the update! And okay thank you so much!
How long do you get to complete each meal/snack? 30 for meals 15 for snack no exceptions
Do they start really low with meal plans? Yes
How long do people stay there until being released back home? Some people have stayed as low as 10 days and others have stayed 5 months that I know of. I stayed 3 mo
I just need to be more stable medically so I can heal at home? They won’t release you back home you must be released to a residential they will take to the residential you are being released to so you can’t really get out of it trust me I tried everything
Do you get to choose your own meals? No
Are they understanding with time limits there? No
What is there rate of weight gain? 1-4lb a week
They dont do IVs usually right?! Yes I had to get a picc line due to low electrolytes
Can someone give a sample day of a starting meal plan? For breakfast I got 1/4 c of eggs 1/2 English muffin and soy milk snack 1: 2 Grahm crackers and string cheese lunch: 1/4 pb&j and soy milk snack 2: nuts dinner: tiny bit of chicken 2 baby potatoes and veggies snack 3 yogurt
Just curious!! Why don’t they do IVs? I’ve never heard of that before, but I’m sure they have a reason for it! Thanks 🙂
I was there recently and the answers above are not accurate. I don’t think this anon is speaking of Torrance.
Thank you Chris! I was wondering that myself, since the answers are different than the ones given by all the other Torrance reviewers.
No it’s Torrance
Hi Anonymous! Which treatment center/hospital is this review of? I want to make sure we get the review on the right page, so people looking up this hospital will see your review. If this is for Torrance, were you there as an adolescent or as an adult?
Torrence does PICC lines? Never heard of a hospital that’ll openly do that due to infection risk. Usually its a peripheral IV.
Yes unfortunately they do picc lines
Has anyone been to torrance memorial recently? My bmi is too low for most ip/res and ive already been through acute multiple times. thanks.
*moved to torrance memorial from client general forum by admin
I’m being required to do at least a few days inpatient/hospital stabilization by the residential program I’m admitting to, and I’m extremely hesitant based on past experiences I’ve had in treatment being really damaging. I wasn’t ever going to go back to treatment because of these experiences, but I am at a point where I can’t help myself and I need to do something, so I decided to do residential, which was a big deal for me to commit to. But now inpatient/hospital is a whole other thing and I’m so scared things are going to go horribly wrong as they have before. I have heard good things about this program, but it’s still a hospital. A couple of my main concerns are that I can’t have dairy at all (not even with lactaid) and I know that a place like this wouldn’t be able to provide dairy free subs so it would be really limiting for the menu (I’m also vegetarian, but willing to have fish if I have to). And I’m afraid that they are going to start me on a super low intake to play it safe and I will just be starving all the time but unable to get more food because of their protocols. I don’t know specifically what I’m asking, I guess just putting this out there for anyone who maybe has any advice or has dealt with these things or been here before and can give some insight into those things. Anything is appreciated.
They have both plain and chocolate almond and plain and vanilla soy milk. They will test you for lactose intolerance to know the severity, the menu options have a wide variety and they will ultimately find things that work for you, you get three dislikes but it cant be like all cheeses it has to be narrowed down to a specific item/items. You will most likely be there at least 12 days or more depending on your needs, they don’t do short stays. They do start you on a low intake but it will be enough to keep you satisfied, i promise and if there is something you cant eat/ dont like you can sub it for boost if you drink the boost it is no problem if you refuse the boost you might get tubed i never refused it while i was there so im not sure how that works but there was times i didnt like the food so i requested the boost option and it was no problem if you have any other questions that come to mind i will happily answer them.
[removed]
The first time I was the February 3- March 18! It was a loooong time but I still work closely with the dr who started the program, out of curiosity I asked the other day what’s the shortest stay she’s had and she did say 11 days. So I do hope that’s your case so you can get back on track! If you comply 100% No refusal you will get 10+ “laps” which amounts to majority of the day no wheel chair, which is what I got and it really helped my mindset so keep that in mind if you like your independence I couldn’t stand others doing things for me! Plus if you’re doing well you do get to choose your menu which I also was happy about
One, is there any kind of choice when it comes to the food, like with meals and snacks, and if so, what is usually available? I know it’s not going to be the best quality since it’s hospital food, but is it somewhat decent? I’ve been to Providence in Portland for a few days before and everything they had was absolutely awful.
Would I be confined to the bed (like an alarm goes off when I shift or try to get out of bed sort of thing–that’s how it was at Providence, but it wasn’t the ED floor) or am I able to move around the room at all? Obviously not talking about exercise, just getting up to grab something or sit somewhere else or whatever. And is it a hospital bed? Also, would I be allowed to leave the room at any point or do I have to stay put the whole time?
I know these might seem like somewhat trivial concerns, my anxiety is just super high and these are all things that my brain seems to be latching onto. I’m just really concerned going to a place like this (hospital/inpatient) is going to put me off going to res after, which is the whole point.
Honestly the food is great, you do get to choose what you like once the dietician sees you complying with meals, if you have an email I can send you a picture of the menu for the hospital they have!
My breakfast favorites were Cherrios with soy milk a banana and a coffee or a yogurt with granola and a piece of fruit with juice and a coffee! My favorite lunch was soup and a salad! I loved all the dinner options, chicken, fish, tofu, steak, basically any type of salads you can think of any type of soups, pastas, pizza, they really had everything and usually it tasted fantastic. Snacks were basic, fruit, yogurt, apple sauce, goldfish, pretzels, veggies and hummus, chips, etc.
I love eating healthy since i have alot of stomach problems and they were fine with that.
You’re allowed to be on your feet in the room at night you will have a bed alarm but its usually when you have already fallen asleep that a nurse will turn it on, once you’re trusted enough they will allow you to close the door to your room.
It is a hospital bed but you can bring your own blankets and pillows which made it a little cozier you can also rearrange your room which is what i did so it didnt feel so hospital like. You arent confined to your room they have an activity room you can go in and plenty of things in there to keep you busy and you were also allowed to go to the “healing Garden” which is nice for fresh air. I Loved exploring the hospital with my CNA’s which made it fun they would take me all over which you can probably get one to take you on adventures too! i wish you all the luck in the world and do not hesitate to ask me anything else you may have in mind.
Thank you so much for providing all that info, it’s super helpful! I’m still figuring things out but if I do have to do inpatient and I have any choice in the master, I think this is where I would do it.
ooh can I give u my email. I wanna see the menu!
Oh may I pleaseeeeee get the menu!!!!! I’m extremely interested 🙂 my email is cheyanne1993@mail.com
Yes I will send it by morning
Could you send it to me as well? recoveringonebiteatatime@gmail.com
(Rachel please delete after!)
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!
Same here! Littodinozombeh@gmail.com
Hi! If you see this, could you email me at pumpkinwooferson@gmail.com? I am going to Torrance next week and I’m super nervous so I’d love to ask some questions if you’re okay with it!
Hey A! Can you post your questions here on the site? You are way more likely to get answers that way, and it also makes it so everyone in the community can benefit from the answers.
Thank you so much for your response, it’s really helpful. I do have a few questions if you wouldn’t mind answering when you have a chance.
One, is there any kind of choice when it comes to the food, like with meals and snacks, and if so, what is usually available? I know it’s not going to be the best quality since it’s hospital food, but is it somewhat decent? I’ve been to Providence in Portland for a few days before and everything they had was absolutely awful.
Would I be confined to the bed (like an alarm goes off when I shift or try to get out of bed sort of thing–that’s how it was at Providence, but it wasn’t the ED floor) or am I able to move around the room at all? Obviously not talking about exercise, just getting up to grab something or sit somewhere else or whatever. And is it a hospital bed? Also, would I be allowed to leave the room at any point or do I have to stay put the whole time?
I know these might seem like somewhat trivial concerns, my anxiety is just super high and these are all things that my brain seems to be latching onto. I’m just really concerned going to a place like this (hospital/inpatient) is going to put me off going to res after, which is the whole point. Thank again.
[removed]
No I’m not on the wait-list, I decided to go another route because the wait is just way too long for my needs right now. But yeah, it is at least 4 weeks out. Everywhere else I inquired was about the same.
[removed]
I’m just going straight to residential like I originally planned. It’s a bit of a weird situation because technically I don’t really qualify for inpatient, the doctor at the res I’m trying to admit to is just being really difficult. But she agreed to let me monitor my vitals from home over a few days and approve/deny my admission based on that. Any other res would have admitted me already, she’s just super strict, but I really want to get in. However if she still denies me after seeing my vitals over the weekend I’m going to a different res as a backup. As far as inpatient availability, I only looked at the ones in California, so there may be openings elsewhere. Idk what you’re looking for or what your situation is of course, but if it’s urgent I would consider going out of state to whatever is available just to get stable and then from there you could be more intentional/choosy about where you go (res, PHP, whatever your plan looks like). But also, I totally sympathize with the frustration of the waiting period. It sucks and it makes everything so much harder. For me it’s the mental anticipation that’s the most difficult. A few weeks may not seem like much to some people, but when we’re in such a bad place mentally (and/or physically) it may as well be an eternity.
Molly, will you email me the menu samples and write in options?
Yeah I definitely can, would you like to send your email!
Heather, you can feel free to reply here with your email, because as soon as you two get in touch I will redact it!
Hi everyone! I’m also in desperate need of help and on the waitlist for stabilization at a few places- I went to ACUTE both times and it was horrible, including the most recent time. Could I also get a copy of the menu samples and write in options, as well as some other details about Torrance?
I would also greatly appreciate the sample menu! If so could you respond to this comment?
I think it’s really unfortunate that getting the care you need if you’re 39 is so difficult and there are very little options especially if you have Medicare.
Torrance seems like a place that would benefit me but they cap it at 35. I do better in settings like this (room based). Stanford and UCSF only help up to people in their 20s…
[removed]
Oh I definitely had the wrong impression. I looked into a couple years ago and thought they did take Medicare. Thank you for letting me know. So it would be out regardless. It’s difficult finding treatment with Medicare.
They cap admits at age 35?
[removed]
can someone leave a review of a days schedule and food choices/options? how do they meal plan with you? is it flexible?
[removed]
Hi Jaedyn!
Sorry to bother you – could I possibly contact you ASAP to get more details on Torrance? I went through ACUTE and it was horrible. I’ve basically lost any progress made and am really suffering now: I definitely don’t want to go in blind as I did with ACUTE, so I was wondering if I could reach out to you for more details?
Thanks,
Lavanya
What does a typcial day look like at Torrance?
Would love to hear a full review from anyone who has been. I used to always go to acute, but they don’t take Medicare, so now I’m SOL. Hoping this might be an option, but won’t go in blind with no info. Thanks!
Just wondering are bathrooms locked? Do you have a CNA all day like Denver Acute? Do they go through everything when you come in? Are you on bed alarm the whole time?
bathrooms are locked, no if you’re completing all meals you slowly get sitters taken away all day and over night except meals, no not when you come in but once during your stay just to write down important items incase they’re lost, no i figured out how to turn it off the first night and fought it the each time they tried to turn it on eventually winning where i got no alarm.
I’m pretty sure that Torrance does not accept Medicare either.
Can someone post a full review of this unit? I’ve had really bad experiences with ACUTE and want to see about other options
I might be admitting next week and I am getting cold feet/ thinking about backing out.
Would LOVE a recent review and someone to talk to about their experience.
Also, how it compares with ACUTE? Are there other medical stabilization programs in the country?
Meal plan and schedule details?
There are other medical stabilization units but most of them cap out at 21. Are you over 21?
Hi Carla! There aren’t as many medical stabilization programs as there used to be, but there are definitely multiple options! I’ve been compiling a list of them here: https://edtreatmentreview.com/category/medical-stabilization/
Thank you so much for that resource, Rachel! I live somewhere without medical resources and don’t know where to turn. As an adult it’s really hard to find any medical help. ACUTE doesn’t take Medicare/caid so it’s good to have some guidance. You’re so great.
Did you end up going? If so could you write a full review?
Questions from Anon (cross-posted with Client General Forum):
How did you like the program? Does it compare to Denver acute(if you have been there)? What’s the typical day like? Do you menu plan or is everything just picked for you? How were they medically?
I absolutely loved the program. I haven’t been to ACUTE but I know a girl who did and she said this was much better. It’s very individualized. You can menu plan and talk dislikes with the dietitian. You see her 3x a week. Medically it’s amazing. You get vitals 4x a day, cardiac monitoring at night, medical doctor daily, frequent nurse assessments, automatically get a GI consult, get consults from any other specialist, labs frequently ect. It’s a medical hospital and they are very good at what they do. I’ll post a full review in a bit
Yes please!
Hi Jaedyn – I would really love to hear a more full review of the program? What was their approach in terms of weight gain and rate of gain? What was a typical day like? How long was your stay? Any information you could provide would be absolutely amazing and much appreciated!!
Jaedyn,
I’d love to hear from you as well- do you have time to chat for more details about this?
Would love to hear a full review from you!
Hi Jaedyn!
Sorry to bother you – could I possibly contact you ASAP to get more details on Torrance? I went through ACUTE and it was horrible. I’ve basically lost any progress made and am really suffering now: I definitely don’t want to go in blind as I did with ACUTE, so I was wondering if I could reach out to you for more details?
Thanks,
Lavanya
Will be admitting here soon! PLEASE any information will be helpful This is my last option!!!!
Pls post a full review!!!
Please post a review!!