Question: How can caregivers best support children with eating disorders during the pandemic?

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Guidance Guidance for parents and carers on supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
section_headers: Eating disorders
section_content: Children and young people with an eating disorder may find aspects of the
current situation particularly challenging, for example reduced availability
of specific foods, exercise limits, social isolation and significant changes
to routine.
If your child or young person has an eating disorder, you can seek support and
advice from your local community eating disorder
team. Most community
eating disorder teams support direct access that is not reliant on a referral
from your GP.
For children and young people with avoidant restrictive food intake disorder
(ARFID), take care about issues that arise if there is:

reduced availability of specific foods. This may mean your child or young person who is on a limited diet cannot get the foods they eat. Many will go without rather than have something else but with risk of weight loss or further nutritional deficiency
significant changes to your child or young person’s routine – for those with ARFID this can be extremely distressing and challenging to manage. Seek advice on how you can reduce the distress and risk of further reduction of their food intake
general heightened anxiety – monitor existing anxiety and obsessive compulsive behaviours that are associated with distress and how this is interfering with eating

The eating disorder charity BEAT provide a helpline and have developed
guidance with clinicians on how to support your child or young person during
this difficult time.
[GP]: general practitioner
  [ARFID]: avoidant restrictive food intake disorder

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Has detailed information specifically about supporting children with eating disorders. Fully addresses question.
This gives adequate information on children eating disorders.

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Excellent

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): providing unpaid care to adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults
section_headers: Supporting the person through change
Coping with bereavement
section_content: It is possible that the person you care for may experience the death of
someone they know during this period or may experience anxiety at deaths
reported in the media. In this instance, it is important to have open and
honest discussions about death and coping with the person you care for.
The links below provide accessible resources to support communicating death to
people with learning disabilities and autistic people:

NHS advice on coping with bereavement
Beyond Words guide for when someone dies from coronavirus
CWP NHS Trust bereavement guide for carers
MENCAP guide to dealing with bereavement


Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Has general advice on coping with bereavement. Doesn't mention children or eating disorders.
This answer does not address the question.

Reviewer ratings:
Bad
Bad

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Guidance Guidance for parents and carers on supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
section_headers: Helping children and young people cope with stress
section_content: There are some key points you can consider about how to support your child or
young person, including:
Listen and acknowledge: Children and young people may respond to stress in
different ways. Signs may be emotional (for example, they may be upset,
distressed, anxious, angry or agitated), behavioural (for example, they may
become more clingy or more withdrawn, or they may wet the bed), or physical
(for example, they may experience stomach aches).
Look out for any changes in their behaviour. Children and young people may
feel less anxious if they are able to express and communicate their feelings
in a safe and supportive environment. Children and young people who
communicate differently to their peers may rely on you to interpret their
feelings. Listen to them, acknowledge their concern and give them extra love
and attention if they need it.
MindEd is a free online educational resource on
children and young people’s mental health for all adults, which can support
parents and carers through these exceptional circumstances.
Provide clear information about the situation: Children and young people
want to feel assured that their parents and carers can keep them safe. One of
the best ways to achieve this is by talking openly about what is happening and
providing honest answers to any questions they have. Explain what is being
done to keep them and their loved ones safe, including any actions they can
take to help, such as washing their hands more often than usual. Use words and
explanations that they can understand. There are resources available to help
you do this, including the Children’s Commissioner’s Children’s Guide to
Coronavirus, or the Inter-
Agency Standing Committee (IASC) have produced a storybook developed by and
for children around the world affected by coronavirus
(COVID-19).
Make sure you use reliable sources of information such as
GOV.UK or the NHS
website – there is a lot
of misleading information from other sources that can create stress for you
and your family. It will not always be possible to provide answers to all the
questions that children and young people may ask, or to address all their
concerns, so focus on listening and acknowledging their feelings to help them
feel supported.
Be aware of your own reactions: Remember that children and young people
often take their emotional cues from the important adults in their lives, so
how you respond to the situation is very important. It is important to manage
your own emotions and remain calm, listen to and acknowledge children and
young people’s concerns, speak kindly to them, and answer any questions they
have honestly. For further information on how to look after your own mental
wellbeing during the pandemic, see the guidance on how to look after your own
mental health and
wellbeing or visit Every
Mind Matters.
Connect regularly: If it is necessary for you and your children to be in
different locations to normal (for example, due to staying at home in
different locations or hospitalisation) make sure you still have regular and
frequent contact via the phone or video calls with them. Try to help your
child understand what arrangements are being made for them and why in simple
terms. Support safe ways for children and young people to maintain social
interaction with their friends, for example via phone or video calls.
Create a new routine: Life is changing for all of us for a while. Routine
gives children and young people an increased feeling of safety in the context
of uncertainty, so think about how to develop a new routine, especially if
they are not at school:

make a plan for the day or week that includes time for learning, playing and relaxing
if they have to stay home from school, ask teachers what you can do to support continued learning at home. The Department for Education have published a list of recommended online educational resources for home schooling
encourage maintaining a balance between being on and offline and discover new ideas for activities to do from home. The Children’s Commissioner guide signposts to some ideas to help fight boredom
children and young people ideally need to be active for 60 minutes a day, which can be more difficult when spending longer periods of time indoors. Plan time outside if you can do so safely or see Change4Life for ideas for indoor games and activities
don’t forget that sleep is important for mental and physical health, so try to keep to existing bedtime routines
it may be tempting to give children and young people treats such as sweets or chocolate but this is not good for their health, especially as they may not be as physically active as normal. See Change4Life for ideas for healthy treats

Limit exposure to media and talk more about what they have seen and heard:
Like adults, children and young people may become more distressed if they see
repeated coverage about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the media. A
complete news blackout is also rarely helpful as they are likely to find out
from other sources, such as online or through friends. Try to avoid turning
the television off or closing web pages when children or young people come
into the room. This can peak their interest to find out what is happening and
their imagination can take over. Instead, consider limiting the amount of
exposure you and your family have to media coverage.
Young people will also hear things from friends and get information from
social media. Talk to them about what is happening and ask them what they have
heard. Try to answer their questions honestly and reassure them appropriately.

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Gives general information on supporting young people during the pandemic, but doesn't specifically mention eating disorders.
This does not address children with eating disorders.

Reviewer ratings:
Acceptable
Could be Improved