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Learn more about eating disorders with our suite of online courses for health professionals.

eLearning

Immediate Care in the Community

Urgent community care may be required

If a person needs urgent medical attention, but cannot access inpatient care, then frequent medical monitoring in the community is imperative.

Here is what you need to consider when caring for an at-risk person in the community:

Ensure that an appropriate treatment team is in place:
Set up a case conference with the team, as indicated Develop an escalation plan Liaise with local specialist service - let them know what you can and cannot manage

Physical:

Regular medical monitoring is essential:
Book in WEEKLY, BI-WEEKLY or DAILY appointments as required. See: Medical Monitoring: Routine Check Up for routine investigations.
Consider multivitamin/thiamine
Work through further medical investigations, as indicated, at own pace:
See: Further Medical Assessments

Mental:

Provide helplines:
Lifeline 13 11 14 (crisis support) Butterfly’s National Helpline 1800 33 4673 (eating disorder information, counselling and treatment referral) Kids Help Line 1800 55 1800 (online and phone counselling for 5-25yo)
Psychoeducation and resources for the individual and their family:

Managing Distress in Individuals with Eating Disorders

Eating disorders serve an important function for each individual, and there is substantial distress experienced by the individual in trying to challenge the eating disorder, engage in treatment and work towards recovery.

Urge Surfing

This fact sheet describes a mindfulness technique called urge surfing, which helps with resisting engaging in eating disordered behaviours.

Eating Disorders: Mental Health First Aid

Guidelines to help members of the public provide first aid to someone who may have an eating disorder

Helpful & Unhelpful Things to Say and Do

What you say matters

Consider medications:

SSRIs may be beneficial in the treatment of co-occurring depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Low dose of olanzepine may be helpful in anorexia nervosa, when patients are severely anxious and demonstrate obsessive eating-related ruminations

Psychiatrist Prof. Janice Russell explains some of the medications that may be used to help treat eating disorder symptoms.

Ensure that practical supports are available to the person (i.e. family, carers)

Nutrition:

Ensure that meal support is being provided by family, carers or friends:

Meal Support

Practical tools to help a loved one at mealtimes

Psychiatrist Prof. Janice Russell provides some guidance on how to refeed a person in the community, if inpatient care can not be accessed.

Provide a meal plan:

GP Practice Management Toolkit

Use this toolkit to create screening strategies and customise your software with autofill templates and patient information.

Refeeding Syndrome

This fact sheet outlines refeeding syndrome in individuals with eating disorders

RAVES Model

A framework to help re-establishing normal eating

Exercise:

MAWDIVE

A guide to managing exercise during treatment

Safe Exercise at Every Stage

Guidelines

References

1 Mental Health First Aid Australia (MHFA). (2024). What do we need to know about young people and eating disorders? https://www.mhfa.com.au/what-do-we-need-to-know-about-young-people-and-eating-disorders/

2 Jeffrey, S. (n.d.). RAVES Model. https://eatingdisorderscarerhelpkit.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/RAVES-Model.pdf

3 Jeffrey, S. (n.d.). MAWDIVE. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/632907d4424d9b18e38ae0eb/t/641114d4442abb40487352af/1678841053560/MAWDIVE+Handout