Questions to Ask Other Residential Programs

1. Will you reassess my program on a weekly basis? If not, how often?


2. What happens if I decide that I would like to alter my program: go heavier on the education and lifestyle workshops vs. fitness training or vice versa?


3. What is your approach to teaching sustainable, long-term lifestyle changes?


4. How do you help a patient deal with emotional eating issues?


5. What type of meal plan will I be on and will it be sustainable and easy to follow when I leave the program?


6. What are some of the topics covered in each of the following areas:
   •  Nutrition
   •  Fitness
   •  Behavior Modification


7. What type of one-on-one support does your program provide?


8. Does your program allow me to become involved in group support?


9. Does your program help me understand the importance of group and self-accountability?


10. Will I have the ability to meet with physicians to go over various medical topics?


11. Will anyone sit down with me to develop a plan of action when I leave the program, taking into consideration environmental and emotional alterations?


12. Will anyone help me create a strong support team in my home environment for when I leave the program? (Allowing me to identify those who will sabotage my efforts vs. those who will truly assist me in my new life)


13. Will I have hand-on experience with meal preparation? (measuring, seasoning and cooking meals)


14. Where will I be dining?


15. Where and how often will I be exercising?


16. Do any of the fitness activities take place in different environments (ie. parks, lakes, etc)?


17. Does your staff take time to do extra-curricular activities during the weekend with the patients? If not, what will I do during the weekends to advance my progress?


18. What type of staff does your program employ? What type of experience do they have? What are their backgrounds? How can they help and relate to me and my situation? Are they empathetic to my situation or are they cold and clinical?


19. Will there be someone at the facility at all times with whom I can freely meet if I am struggling or need extra emotional support?


20. If you say you personalize each patients program, what is your approach to the personalization?


21. What are the key factors that are focused on when developing one’s residential plan?


22. How does your program approach the following areas:
    •  Medical modification and education
    •  Nutrition modification and education
    •  Fitness modification and education
    •  Behavior modification and education


23. Is the educational approach mainly group workshops or are they one-on-one consultations? If they are workshops, approximately how many individuals attend each class? Are the workshops lecture-driven or hands-on?


24. How do I know which workshops (nutrition, behavior and fitness) to attend and would be the most beneficial for me?


25. What is your approach to help me asses my life/passions, fitness level and nutrition understanding?


26. How will your program help me understand and adapt to different situations in my life?