The first residential center for eating disorders in Friuli

The new C. will open in the coming months in Camino al Tagliamentoresidential setting for patients with nutrition and eating disorders.

“The center represents an important arrival point for people, and their families, who are involved in this type of treatment path. Symbolically it is also an example of what can and must be done in this historical moment of transition provide appropriate and sustainable responses to the health needs of the community, focusing on the integration of services and multidisciplinarity, activating targeted, highly personalized paths managed outside the hospital for the part that does not require centralized structures”. These are some of the concepts expressed by the Health Councilor of Friuli Venezia Giulia Riccardo Riccardwho this afternoon, in the spaces of the Santa Maria della Misericordia hospital in Udine, in the Perraro room, spoke at the presentation of the next realization of the Residential center for patients with nutrition and eating disorders (DCA), an intervention, as underlined by the representative of the regional executive, which is also born thanks to the push and encouragement of the families who found themselves having to face this complex process of caring for a relative.

It’s about the first residential structure built with this type of purpose in our region; starts from the consolidated presence of a healthcare network in the area, capable of guaranteeing therapeutic continuity and supporting the patient in the use of the techniques learned during the residential phase.

The Health Councilor explained that the residential intervention is aimed at patients in the care of services dedicated to the treatment of DCA in Friuli Venezia Giulia, both in developmental age (8 places) and adults, for a total of 15 places. The center was created for people for whom staying in a hospital setting is inappropriate, and with a fragile family situation, who requires support. In his speech, the councilor pointed out how the work carried out to reach the goal of the new center is a demonstration of how our organizational model must change, adapting to contemporary phenomena, with a territorial system organized in such a way as to intercept the citizens’ questions, giving them a complete answer in our structures. By doing so you will be able to become attractive again from a professional point of view.

Structure.

The building that will house the new center is spread over three floors above ground with an outdoor garden: a pleasant context designed to convey serenity, far from the idea of ​​hospitalization. Its activation will avoid the search for specific structures in other regions with even long periods of distance and consequent important economic burdens. Among its objectives, the project also has that of shortening the duration of ordinary hospitalization in the hospitalpediatric department and to bring the place of care closer to the context of residence of the patient and family.

Worrying numbers growing after the pandemic.

During 2022, they turned to the Single Center for Eating Disorders (Cudica). 300 users (one thousand throughout Friuli Venezia Giulia), for a total of 4000 outpatient services (27,000 throughout Friuli Venezia Giulia). There pandemic has increased eating-related disorders among young people by more than 10%.; The 90% are female, between 17 and 30 years old, mostly affected by anorexia and bulimia nervosa. To the users of the Friuli Centrale University Health Agency, Asufc-Cudica, the data relating to the evolutionary alert must be added which appears to be for Udine 132 and for the Jalmicco di Palmanova center 87 in 2022.

The representative of the Executive underlined how the birth of this centre, with an economic effort of 1.5 million euros and direct management of the Asufc, is also important given the increase in the incidence of these pathologies, even among the very young and in particular after Covid-19. The objective is to activate other centers in the other three health authorities.

During 2023, the number of patients followed by Cudica is increased by 14.3% (65 new users were added from 254); consequently the overall performances also increased: 6612 overall; 8 hospitalizations. In 2022, the DCA clinic in Udine followed 132 people with 52 new cases. The Jalmicco clinic in Palmanova, again in 2022, followed 82 patients of which 40 new cases. In the pediatric clinic of Udine, overall during 2022, the overall number of ordinary hospitalizations, day hospital admissions and short-term intensive observations in the pediatric emergency room was 43 admissions for 22 patients. In 2022, 17 adolescents diagnosed with DCA were hosted in the Latisana pediatrics department; the overall average length of hospitalization is 68 days with a minimum of 7 days and a maximum of 168 days.