Treatment

The first step for everyone using Cotswold House services is to have an assessment with one or two members of the team. This means finding out about you and the problems you want help with.

At the end of your assessment appointment we will discuss all of the options for treatment with you and decide together on the best way forward.

We offer the following services for our patients:

• Inpatient specialist care: 24 hour nursing care and intensive therapy, including group and individual programmes
• Day programme: less intensive support, enabling you to remain at home and have responsibility for some weekday evening and weekend meals; in other respects you receive the same treatment as inpatients

If you are coming to Cotswold House, you may find it helpful to look at our Patient Information Guide.

With a specialised multi-disciplinary team and excellent staff to patient ratios we offer high quality individualised care including:

• Medical stabilisation is usually required on admission, and we will do a full physical examination and observations, ECG and bloods as frequently as clinically required; patients will be offered a DEXA scan if they had not had one in the previous two years
• Refeeding is managed by the dietician, medical and nursing staff
• Supported eating takes place 6 times per day (3 meals and 3 snacks, content depends on meal plans); we can offer a vegetarian diet when required, but cannot cater for a vegan diet; special diets to meet other medical or religious/cultural requirements can be provided. See our allergies and food intolerances guide for more information about these.
• Group and individual therapy is available to all inpatients and day patients
• Occupational therapy is provided following an individual assessment, with weekly reviews
• Our staff have been trained in nasogastric feeding in order to be able to undertake this when it is necessary and minimise the need for treatment in a general hospital; this  is used in only a small minority of patients (about 6%), and then generally just for a brief period, with the aim of making the transition back to oral nutrition as soon as possible
• A containing environment with 1:1 support as necessary
• Treatment for patients detained under the Mental Health Act
• Family therapy, couple therapy and support for family and friends including a regular weekend group
• A CBT-based model, but we also offer DBT with trained therapists; this is beneficial for patients with co-morbid personality disorder, and DBT skills are an effective adjunct for many others.
• Dietician input and tailored meal plans to promote healthy weight restoration and nutritional knowledge
• Regular liaison with local teams and commissioners; we offer telephone/video conferencing to facilitate involvement in CPA reviews
• Day treatment can be tailored to the individual patient, such as allowing them to return part-time to work or study, whilst having intensive support with eating and individual therapy as well as occupational therapy, family therapy and group work.  Day treatment can vary from one intensive day a week, to 5-7 days including three main meals and snacks.  The day programme with overnight stays can be offered in certain circumstances for patients who live a long distance away.

For patients living in Wiltshire, we also offer outpatient and community support.  Please visit the Wiltshire Community Eating Disorders Service page for further information.