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A new psycho-nutritional rehabilitation program aimed at minor patients has been activated in the department dedicated to eating and nutrition disorders of the Villa dei Pini nursing home in Florence. The therapeutic path, in the form of ordinary hospitalization and rehabilitation day hospital, joins the one already existing for adult patients and represents a significant step in responding to the care needs of minors suffering from nutrition and eating disorders – which has been increasing for several years and with a progressive lowering of the age of onset, found in clinical practice and from the national focus of the Ministry of Health 2019-2021, from which the growth over the years in emergency room accesses for behavioral disorders is evident food, especially for the age groups 11-13, which went from 2.5% in 2019 to 5.7% in 2021, and 14-17, which went from 1.6% in 2019 to 4.6% in 2021.* “We contribute to responding to the strong demand for specific treatments for children under 18 that comes from the area, with the aim of promoting and consolidating the levels of care provided by the national guidelines. Younger patients need specific paths and activities, dedicated spaces separate from those of young adults, also to avoid emulation dynamics. It is equally fundamental to take care of the entire family and maintain, as far as possible, school continuity, without the disease interrupting the path of growth and planning. personal.” – explains Adolfo Bandettini di Poggio, medical director of the Psychiatry Area of the KOS Group. “This project was born as part of the collaboration between Villa dei Pini KOS and the USL Toscana Centro company, with the aim of guaranteeing continuity of care and quality of treatment even after hospitalization. Differentiated specialist courses are foreseen for two age groups: from 12 to 15 years and from 15 to 17 years. In both groups, patients receive constant and daily psychiatric and neuropsychiatric intervention, supported by psychological support, monitoring of drug therapy and periodic checks nutritional status and general health status.” – explains the psychiatrist Laura Plateroti, head of the Eating Disorders and Nutrition department of Villa dei Pini KOS.
THE PROGRAM WITH EXPERTS AND FAMILIES
Management is ensured by a multidisciplinary team made up of a child neuropsychiatrist/psychiatrist, systemic-relational and cognitive-behavioral psychologists, professional educator, dietician, physiotherapist and cardiologist consultant. Weekly individual interviews are scheduled with a neuropsychiatrist and psychologist according to the approach of advanced cognitive-behavioral therapy and specific psychological groups for minors between 12 and 15 years of age. The intervention actively involves families, according to the guidelines: dedicated groups led by psychotherapists have been activated, with the aim of teaching patient management skills in the home environment and providing information on eating disorders. Each family unit follows an individualized family support path, with sessions conducted by a systemic-relational therapist expert in nutrition and eating disorders. To encourage family cohesion, a team building group has also been established which includes shared activities such as theater and play workshops.
NUTRITIONAL REHABILITATION AND ACTIVITIES
Nutritional rehabilitation includes workshops conducted by a dietician, aimed at promoting familiarization with food and gradual exposure to the most anxiety-provoking foods. With parental consent, it is possible to organize therapeutic outings, supermarket shopping and snacks outside the facility. For patients aged 12 to 15, there are specific meetings with a dietician and family members, as well as assistance with meals designed to make the activities understandable even for the youngest. Maintaining contact with the external environment is guaranteed: outings with family members, meals together with the family unit, visits from friends and schoolmates and, where possible, participation in school lessons. The objective is to avoid excessive “hospitalization” and promote relational and social continuity. Educational and recreational activities are also central: creative workshops of theatre, music, drawing and games, accompanied by scholastic support also through supervised distance learning or reception by teachers in the facility. Finally, physiotherapy groups support the rapprochement with physical activity and corporeity in a healthy and constructive way. The treatments available for Nutrition and Eating Disorders (DNA) The treatments are multidisciplinary and personalized, combining different therapeutic strategies to address the specific needs of each patient. Treatment includes psychological and nutritional therapy with constant medical support. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is one of the most effective approaches aimed at changing dysfunctional thoughts and behaviors related to nutrition. Family therapy is of great importance, involving family members in the healing process. Treatment may involve different levels of care, ranging from specialized outpatient therapy to intensive inpatient and residential rehabilitation.
The KOS Group and the DCA network KOS is a leading Italian healthcare group that operates in social and healthcare assistance, psychiatry, rehabilitation, diagnostics and acute medicine. The Group manages approximately 170 facilities with over 13,000 beds and is active in Italy and Germany with 13,300 employees and collaborators. KOS, in particular, is present in 11 Italian regions where it manages over 120 structures: 59 healthcare residences (RSAs), 9 psychiatric clinics, 8 therapeutic-rehabilitation communities, 15 rehabilitation centers, 28 outpatient centers and a hospital. The main centers of the KOS group specialized in the treatment of nutrition and eating disorders are, in addition to Villa dei Pini in Florence, Ville di Nozzano in Lucca, Villa Margherita in Arcugnano (Vicenza), Villa Sant’Alessandro and Villa Armonia in Rome, Villa Rosa and Villa Pineta in Modena.
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