The ‘Revolving Door’ of Eating Disorder Treatment: A Western Australian Family’s Fight for Residential Care
“She is going to die. This can’t be it.” These were the harrowing words echoing in Deanne De-Meer Brown’s mind during one of the darkest periods of her daughter Jordynn’s battle with an eating disorder. The emotional toll on parents can be immense, as Deanne recalls, “There were times when she was an inpatient at the [Perth] Children’s Hospital that me and my husband at the time, [said] ‘Oh my gosh, this is all we have?’”
While advancements have been made, including the establishment of new community-based clinics and expanded services, such as a facility near Mandurah set to open next month, a critical gap persists: the absence of a dedicated residential eating disorder clinic in Western Australia.
Jordynn’s Story: The Cycle of Relapse
Now 19, Jordynn Brown’s personal experience poignantly illustrates the impact of this void. She describes her treatment journey between the ages of approximately 13 and 17 as a “revolving door” of hospital admissions and subsequent relapses. In her view, hospital-based care primarily focused on the physical stabilisation of patients, with insufficient attention paid to mental health support.
“While the treatment helped me gain weight, I was not being mentally taught how to cope with those changes to my body,” Jordynn explained. “By sending me home and not being able to cope with the new body I was in, and I hadn’t made any mental improvements, I was just physically restored. That led me to relapse and then be readmitted, and the cycle just continued.”
The Difficult Decision to Seek Interstate Care
Faced with this ongoing cycle, Jordynn and her mother made the heart-wrenching decision to send Jordynn to one of Australia’s few residential eating disorder clinics, located in Queensland. “She essentially had to leave her family behind,” Ms De-Meer Brown recounted. “And being so unwell, mentally and medically not doing so well, and then to have to send her all the way over there on her own was really, really hard.”
The significant financial and emotional cost of this interstate care, which involved approximately three months of round-the-clock treatment that the family funded themselves, proved to be worthwhile. Jordynn highlighted the practical skills learned during her stay: “We did things like go grocery shopping, we ate meals together, we went out for breakfasts and lunches and dinners. Those are key components of long-lasting change and long-lasting recovery.”
Ms De-Meer Brown expressed her deep frustration, calling it “heartbreaking” that Western Australia remained in the nascent stages of planning for its own residential service.
Political Roadblocks and Funding Fumbles
The lack of a residential clinic in Western Australia is, at least in part, attributed to political complexities. In 2019, the then-federal health minister, Greg Hunt, announced federal funding for six residential eating disorder clinics nationwide, including a $4 million allocation for a facility in WA. However, by 2023, Western Australia was the sole state that had not commenced planning or construction under this federal initiative.
At the time, WA Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson deemed the allocated funds insufficient and stated that the state government had not been consulted prior to the allocation. She instead advocated for the funds to be redirected towards enhancing eating disorder services in the Peel region, south of Perth.
A New Community Clinic Offers Hope
The facility that ultimately received this redirected funding, the Kara Maar Specialist Community Eating Disorder Service, is now poised to welcome its first patients next month. “The beauty of this project is it really does create a setting that feels comfortable, that feels safe, and that isn’t in the hospital system,” noted Health Infrastructure Minister John Carey.
This clinic is strategically located alongside a community mental health service, deliberately situated away from hospital environments and adjacent to a shopping centre. Jan Battley, Peel Mental Health Services program manager, explained the intended benefits: “It allows us to keep people out of ED. It allows us to keep people out of inpatient units, and when they come out, they come back into a service that holds them and hopefully they don’t go back.”
While this development offers a glimmer of hope, Jordynn, still in her recovery phase, finds herself ineligible for the services offered at outpatient clinics.
Progress and Promises for Residential Care
Health Minister Meredith Hammat acknowledged the importance of diverse treatment options during a press conference regarding the new facility. “There’s a variety of ways that people can receive treatment, whether that’s for broader mental health concerns, or whether it’s for eating disorders,” she stated. “And having outreach services, family services, is a really important part of that. Residential eating disorder facilities are also important, and we’re working towards delivering that.”
Last year’s state budget allocated $5 million towards the planning of a residential facility, fulfilling an election promise. “The Mental Health Commission is leading that work, consulting with stakeholders, and so we’ll continue to do the work to plan a facility that allows for there to be residential treatment,” Ms Hammat confirmed. However, she was unable to provide a specific timeframe for its completion, stating, “The work is being undertaken … and when there’s more to say, we’ll do that.”
Opposition Criticisms and Lingering Concerns
Opposition health spokesperson, Libby Mettam, has labelled the prolonged delay as “inexcusable.” She argued, “For Western Australian families to be [resorting] to travelling interstate for this intensive service represents an absolute failure of this government to get their priorities right in this area.”
Ms Mettam emphasised the severity of eating disorders, stating, “We know that eating disorders are one of the most preventable mental health conditions, but they can also be the most fatal. This is why it is staggering that the Cook Labor government have not progressed on a residential eating disorder facility, which would provide that intensive support that patients need.”
In the interim, Deanne De-Meer Brown and her family continue to rely on a dedicated support team, including a recovery coach, psychologist, GP, and dietitian, to aid Jordynn’s ongoing recovery. “And it’s good, but if she lapses again, we need somewhere she can go,” Ms De-Meer Brown stated, highlighting the persistent anxiety.
The absence of a local residential facility leaves families like the De-Meer Browns with a multitude of unanswered questions for the government. “Can’t they be bothered? Haven’t they got the right people in the job?” Ms De-Meer Brown questioned. “Who is advising them? Is it just too hard? Do you expect us to travel interstate? I don’t know. I don’t understand it.”
