Centennial Citizen 9
July 7, 2022
CARE FROM PAGE 1
characterized by an abnormally low body weight, an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of weight. According to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, or CDC, an anorexic teen will skip meals, eat small portions, become obsessed with counting calories, or, in some cases, starve themselves. During the pandemic, health organizations across the U.S. sounded the alarm in rising cases of youth and teens being admitted into emergency rooms with mental health issues, including eating disorders. According to a CDC report, between 2020 and 2021, emergency room visits for teens with mental health issues increased by 24%. The CDC reported that female teens between the ages of 12 and 17 were primarily seen in emergency rooms due to complications caused by an eating disorder. Zach Zaslow, the Children’s Hospital Colorado director of government relations, said mental health and eating disorder cases for youth and teens were already on the rise in the United States. When the pandemic hit in 2020, it exacerbated the issues to crisis levels. In 2021, after the general therapy and working with a nutritionist did not work, Warford’s condition became worse, leading her to a visit at Children’s Hospital Colorado where her heart rate was around 29. The normal heart rate for a teenager is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. Children’s Hospital doctors said outpatient treatment was not going to help Warford get better, telling her mother, Christine Hendrickson, that she needed to be admitted to a facility that specializes in treating adolescents with anorexia. An overwhelmed system Once doctors emphasized that Warford needed extensive treatment, Hendrickson said the real struggle began. With her daughter sick, Hendrickson described a medical care system that diagnosed her daughter but then left her in the wind trying to figure out what to do. In Colorado, mental health has
reached crisis levels, causing care facilities to be full and parents and families struggling to find a place to seek treatment for their youth and teens. Hendrickson said when she was told the eating disorder clinic in Colorado was full, she started calling other states, getting on waitlists, trying to use the internet to educate herself and trying to understand a system where her daughter was not getting the help she needed. Eventually, Hendrickson found her daughter a spot at a facility in Washington. With no other choice, Hendrickson said Warford needed immediate treatment and they had no other choice except to send her out of state. Hendrickson said the decision was tough but had to be done. She said her employer was understanding and worked with her in taking time off. “It was really a huge struggle to balance it all,” the mother of three said. “You know as a parent you are making mistakes and will continue to make mistakes. There really are no resources or advocacy for families like us. You are left dealing with a system you do not know all on your own. It was hard to get clear information. You are really on your own and you are lost.” Zaslow said Hendrickson is not alone. “COVID turned on eating disorders, but kids and families were being told to turn off mental health,” he said. “We (as a system) have to really look at how we do things. The challenges (Hendrickson) has had to go through with care navigation and work on her own should not happen. If we had a cohesive system to help with mental health, families wouldn’t be out there doing this alone.” Hendrickson said it was hard to drive her teenage daughter up to a strange facility in another state and leave her, but she knew it was the right choice. Today, now recovering, Warford said treatment was hard but knows there is no way she could have overcome her worst days at home with her mom. “If my mom had made me do the things they did, it would have SEE CARE, P10
$
$
FROM
2,549
2,299 *
Air Duct Cleaning Summer Specials
Breathe Easy & Relax! SINUS PROBLEMS? ALLERGIES? ASTHMA? DUST PROBLEM? HEADACHES? HIGH POWER BILLS? IF IT’S IN YOUR DUCTS, IT’S IN YOUR LUNGS Our mission is to lower energy costs and provide the healthiest quality air possible. For anyone, business or residential, we will increase efficiency of your system by using the very latest techniques, the latest technologies and top of the line products. We will provide the highest quality of work possible. Our professional staff will assure a high level of professionalism that cannot be matched in our industry. We guarantee our products and services.
We Will Beat Any Price With Superior Quality 100% Guarantee
$49
CLEAN OUT SPECIAL 10 Vents, 1 Return, & 1 Main. FREE system analysis/inspection. Call for details. Additional vents priced separately. We service all areas. Offer expires 8/6/22.
BEST OF HAWAII FOUR-ISLAND TOUR 12 days, departs year-round
Oahu • Hawaii Island • Kauai • Maui — Enjoy a fully guided 4-island Hawaiian vacation with centrally located lodging in Waikiki on Oahu, and beachfront lodging on the “Big Island” of Hawaii, Kauai, and Maui. Guided throughout by our friendly Tour Directors—your local experts. Includes 3 inter-island flights. TM
promo code N7017
1-866-943-9321
* Prices are per person based on double occupancy plus $299 in taxes & fees. Single supplement and seasonal surcharges may apply. Add-on airfare available. Offers apply to new bookings only, made by 9/30/22. Other terms & conditions may apply. Ask your Travel Consultant for details.
FREE 50% DRYER OFF VENT
CLEANING
WITH ANY COMPLETE AIR DUCT SYSTEM CLEANING. Call for details. Offer expires 8/6/22.
HOSPITAL GRADE SANITIZER
HELPS WITH GERMS & BACTERIA With purchase of complete ductwork cleaning. Offer expires 8/6/22.
Call or visit us online today to schedule an appointment!
(303) 747-6781
theapexcleanair.com
