Adolescent Medicine
Adolescent Ward
Established in 1983, the Adolescent Ward at Westmead Hospital was the first inpatient Adolescent Ward commissioned in Australia. Young people of high school age requiring admission to hospital are generally cared for on the Adolescent Ward, depending upon bed availability. Currently the Adolescent Ward is an eight bed inpatient facility where the majority of adolescents admitted have anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders.
The criteria for admission is that the patient is in the high school age range and cannot be managed as an outpatient or at a local Area Health facility.
The Adolescent Ward is located on Level 4 of the A-B Block, Westmead Hospital.
Ward Activities
SCHOOL: The Adolescent Ward caters for the educational needs of school attending adolescents with the provision of a school room and teachers from the Department of Education and Training. Adolescents who are in hospital for 5 days or more, and who are medically able, attend school each morning.
GROUPS: Health Promotion groups for inpatients are held each afternoon. Activities range from therapeutic groups focussing on issues such as self esteem and self awareness, to health education groups with presentations of health topics of interest requested by the adolescents. Art and lesiure groups are also a part of this program and are designed to encourage and enhance adolescent creativity and expression.
SUPERVISED EATING: Meals are supervised Monday to Friday in an effort to normalise the eating patterns and behaviours of anorexia nervosa patients.
