Do you or a loved one need addiction treatment for alcohol or drugs? Thousands blindly walk into addiction treatment in expensive rehab centres and find that the reality doesn't meet expectations.
Before taking the plunge, here's everything you need to know when shopping around for addiction help in Aberbargoed.
Step 1 - Detox .v. Rehab
At the bottom of another binge it can feel all too easy to quickly commit to the nearest clinic offering a fast detox. Get off to the right start by deciding first what you need - detox, rehab, or both?
Detox Only, Or A Complete Recovery Programme?
A normal stay for alcohol or drug treatment would include the three stages of detoxification, rehabilitation, and aftercare planning. But there's no point in spending more than you have to.
- Do you need detox, or rehab?
Committing unnecessarily to all 3 stages of treatment may see you paying too much, but not having enough support down the line could also mean paying the cost of rehab again.
Treatment Near Aberbargoed
Caught up in the need for detox, many will commit too early to a clinic as close as possible to home, without thinking ahead.
Unless you're extremely unwell, consider anything up to 100 mile radius and focus instead on quality of care.
Most clinics provide standard detox protocols and some form of therapy. But will they still be supporting you after you leave the clinic? Asking a few basics like these upfront can save a lot of headache later.
Complex Detox Requirements
Like many things in life, the quality of your experience in a rehab clinic can come down to the breadth and depth of experience of the staff you're working with.
You'll want a clear idea here of what detox protocol you're getting, and what help is available during it.
The medical team at a given clinic have the final say of course, but the admissions team for a provider should be well-versed enough to give you an idea of how your detox will proceed.
Ask if the clinic you're dealing with has specialist professionals who've delivered your detox in the past, and with what results.
KEY QUESTIONS
- Do you foresee any complications with my detox?
- What addiction experience do your prescribing professionals have?
- Are there suitable staff in the clinic who are equipped to handle detox complications?
Step 2 - The Rehab Need-To-Knows
What is day to day addiction treatment inside the clinic actually like?
For in-patient treatment stays, you'll have your own room in the clinic, where you stay, live and sleep, for anywhere from 7-84 days or more (28 days is the average stay).
Expect to complete a pre-admissions screening process over the phone - this is quite normal.
How Do I Monitor Progress?
Clients are normally encouraged to actively monitor their progress towards recovery treatment goals and outcomes.
If staff do not offer to help draw up a personalised care plan of action for your clinic time, and longer recovery journey, you've chosen the wrong provider.
This document will be used as your yardstick to measure progress and keep track. Don't miss this bit out.
KEY QUESTIONS
- To what extent is my care and management planned and mapped out?
- Do you have a one size fits all approach to treatment, or do you work with each individual's needs?
- Do you take account of my history of addiction when making treatment care plans?
- Am I passed from one staff member to another, as shifts change?
What Do I Do In The Clinic, Each Day?
What Is Day To Day Life Like, In Treatment?
Asking some key questions before admitting to a clinic can help you get a sense for what life is like in treatment, before committing.
Clinic operators must keep an entire group of clients on track every day. This can only be achieved when everyone works from the same daily schedule. This lays out the timetable of events, and what's expected.
The duration of detox each individual needs, will vary, based on multiple factors, including frequency and recency of usage, history of addiction, previous detoxes, etc. Getting clear of the physical effects of alcohol or substance misuse in detox could take 3-6 days, for lighter use cases. Other times, it takes longer for the body to process the left-over substances. This variation is natural.
Arranging a visit to the clinic, before committing any funding, can help reassure you of standards of care, and avoid a costly mistake. Ask about this.
KEY QUESTIONS
- Can I see a virtual tour of the clinic, before committing?
- What is the daily agenda of activities inside the clinic, and how soon after detox will I be expected to take part?
- Is it possible to arrange a pre-admission visit, to look around? Is there any charge attached?
- How quickly after detoxing can I get started on the remainder of the programme elements?
Rehab & Covid-19
Since rehab treatment is usually a communal environment, you should expect to have to accommodate others on the journey.
Overcoming old patterns of self-isolation is normally a big part of getting better.
But recovery gains can only be made safely, with consideration to other health factors, in the bigger picture.
Step 3 - Managing The Budget For Treatment
Decide firstly, are you going down the public or private route?
The ability of third sector or voluntary organisations to deal with more complex detox needs is usually slim - it's worth looking into this though.
Like most things in life, it's tempting to go for simply the cheapest cost provider.
Instead, to keep costs reasonable but standards high, consider providers further afield, or smaller clinics with a lower headcount and rural location.
By calling and comparing a few treatment providers against each other, this step should give you a sense of what rehab will cost.
Options Beyond Rehab
Mutual Aid Support
12 step support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are usually available in most locations, although meetings have largely shifted towards online now, in the wake of covid issues.
If you're just starting out in recovery though, detoxing comfortably first, will undoubtedly be the priority.
Local mutual aid meetings *can* be a huge help, and can be a source of potential sponsors and sober mentors for the future. But at the early stages, it's important to get safe and comfortable professional help to detox.
NHS Addiction Options
Obtaining short-term detox from NHS services is unlikely, due to demand on resources.
Eligibility for short term detox is slim, and is usually restricted to only a handful of cases.
More often, where a genuine need for short term detox exists, it's more common to see loved ones and family pulling funds together to help someone get help.
Step 4 - Find Objective Reviews
Reviews of your chosen provider are easy to find on the net, but are they real?
The industry regulators - the Care Quality Commission in England & Wales, and the Care Inspectorate in Scotland, publish the only independent reporting on standards available, for private rehab clinics.
Inspectors from these organisations visit private clinics nationwide, and check they comply with minimum standards of care, producing reports which they publish on the world wide web.
Clinics are graded across multiple areas of care, including support standards, management, and clinical environment.
How Clinic Inspections Work
On paper, a visit by regulators to a clinic can be "Announced", or "Unannounced" - the former means the clinic knew about the inspection in advance, the latter means they didn't. Hence, "Unannounced" inspection reports are more likely to provide a real-world picture of clinic conditions and service levels.
Step 5 - Complete The Initial Assessment
At this point, you've got enough info to decide on one of the clinics you've seen.
It's not uncommon at this point, for the provider to take you a through a number of pre-admission questions, as they have to ensure your suitable for the clinic and its environment.
When the assessment is complete, you'll likely be asked to pay a deposit, to book a place in the clinic, and allow the provider to start preparing for your arrival.
Take the opportunity at this point to arrange payment via insurance policy, if applicable.
Step 6 - Funding Your Stay
As above, expect to pay a deposit prior to admission.
Depending on total costs, your deposit could be anywhere from £500 - £3,000 or more.
A few offer payment plans to help spread the cost of rehab, although nowadays this is less common.
You should expect some kind of booking confirmation from the provider, usually by email, after any deposit or balance payment is made.
The Remaining Funding
The provider will likely ask you to settle the remainder of the treatment balance due, after arrival at the clinic.
It's a good idea to pay this promptly, to avoid excess charges.
Step 7 - Admitting To A Clinic
Make note of the day and time you're due to admit to treatment.
Most clinics will expect you to pack these basics:
Check your booking confirmation for advice about mobile phone usage, internet access, visits, leisure facilities, and any special arrangements for covid-19.
Make sure to finalise transport arrangements a few days in advance, to ensure you attend the clinic on time, and avoid any surcharges on delays on treatment.
And of course, enjoy your recovery!
Easy Rehab Q&A Cheatsheet
Thanks so much for reading the ultimate guide on finding rehab treatment in Aberbargoed.
You'll find all the right questions to ask a treatment provider in our printable checklist.
Get direct download access here.
Thanks for reading our ultimate guide to finding treatment help in Aberbargoed.
Help for addiction is available at Abbeycare's UK clinics.
We've helped hundreds (thousands probably) move beyond addiction, and start a new life.
In these last 15 years, our experience has gone from strength to strength.
Not nearby? No problem, we can arrange transport too, in many cases.
Our clinic inspection reports are available on the relevent service pages: Abbeycare Scotland, Abbeycare Hygrove.
Our admissions team are ready to help.
Our medical team can assist you to detox, safely, and comfortably.
Our addiction specialist therapists can help you overcome the underlying issues of addiction.
Our clinic team are ready to help you make the progress you need.
The only thing left is - are you ready?
To ask a question, or to arrange admission, ring our team now on 01603 513 091.
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