Private rehab treatment for alcohol or drug addiction can be expensive, and low-cost or free alternatives are seldom available. Thousands blindly walk into addiction treatment in expensive rehab centres and find that the reality doesn't meet expectations.
Our comprehensive guide includes guidance on how to compare providers when shopping around.
Step 1 - Get Clear On Your Needs
Having newly made the life changing decision to get help can feel rejuvenating....as well as more than a little vulnerable. But use your needs, and past experience, first and foremost, as your guide to what treatment will work best.
Detox Only, Or A Complete Recovery Programme?
Addiction treatment for alcohol or drugs usually starts with a detox, then therapy (rehab), followed by aftercare. But which of these is right for you?
- Unsure if you need detox, rehab, aftercare, or all 3? Think about this carefully.
You could go for a detox-only programme, but run greater risk of future relapse if other supports are not in place.
Treatment Near Bangor
Caught up in the need for detox, many will commit too early to a clinic as close as possible to home, without thinking ahead.
But the provider on your doorstep doesn't necessarily provide the best overall value, in the context of your entire recovery journey.
Detox can be found in many places, but a strong rehabilitation programme with excellent therapy can mean much greater progress in the long term. We're getting to the real questions here about standard of care delivered, instead of just the bare minimum.
See all the locations Abbeycare serve, here.
A Past History Of Addiction
Getting the right help means being picky about the support you'll receive while in treatment.
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.
Getting reassurance that the provider is not only ready to detox you based on your needs, but has done so many times for others in the past, is important.
KEY QUESTIONS
- Can you easily accommodate my detox needs?
- Is dealing with someone with my intake level and addiction history, a normal everyday client for your clinic?
- If there are unexpected issues during my detox, what happens?
Step 2 - How Does Rehab Work?
What should I expect, inside an addiction clinic?
Rehabilitation clinics operate a residential service - you stay residentially, in the clinic, 24hrs a day, usually with your own room and personal space.
Expect to complete a pre-admissions screening process over the phone - this is quite normal.
The Plan For Treatment
After admission to a clinic, staff will usually look to plan out your care in the clinic, and how that will work, for you personally.
Most providers, at the start of your stay, will help you visualise personal goals and progress targets, in a specifically designed care plan.
This is your opportunity to make sure your key sticking points, triggers, and recurring issues, are factored in, and will get appropriate attention during your stay. Any input at this stage will likely pay dividends later.
KEY QUESTIONS
- Do I get an individualised care plan that I have input into?
- 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?
- How is care planning done?
What's Rehab Treatment Like, Day To Day?
What's the daily routine, inside a rehab, during treatment?
Without actually being in the clinic, the closest you can get is to ask questions about the daily experience of life in the clinic.
Since residential rehab is a group environment, most clinics provide each client with a daily agenda, every night for the following day. This will give a clear indication of what activities happen when, where, and what's expected of you.
The normal first stage of treatment is detox. Depending on usage levels, many will be able to progress to the next stage of treatment after just a few days. Sometimes it will take longer than this to get a clear head again. Clinic staff understand this.
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
- What see inside photos do you have, of the clinic, online?
- Do I take part in daily activities even during detox?
- How do I get reassurance about the look and feel of the clinic, prior to arranging admission?
- Based on my information, how quickly would you want me to start taking part in the therapy schedule, following detox?
A Word About Covid-19
They say, that rehab and recovery are team sports.
Gains achieved during treatment can be amplified by the help of the peer group around you.
Achieving recovery in a covid-19 world, however, means making some accommodations along the way.
Step 3 - Planning The Financials Of Rehab
Whilst private clinics offer fast access to specialist help, financing the stay in treatment needs planning.
Public services are accountable to the tax payer, and seldom offer more specialist interventions.
Automatically choosing the lowest price provider can lead to poor care levels inside the clinic, detrimental to your recovery progress.
Instead, seeking out non-brand name providers, who spend less on business and more on care levels, can pay off.
By calling and comparing a few treatment providers against each other, this step should give you a sense of what rehab will cost.
Looking Beyond Clinic Treatment
Community-Led Support Channels
Even since covid-19, Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous groups are still available, although most have now adopted online platforms to hold meetings, these can still be a rich source of support.
Whilst mutual aid plays a big part for many, later in their recovery journey, those at the start will need professional help to detox safely.
Community support is invaluable, at the right stage in the process. But starting out - you'll need more specialist help for detox.
Community Healthcare Options
Immediate help to detox from NHS services is usually not possible. It's more common to receive a referral to a local Drug/Alcohol support team, and begin weekly meetings with a keyworker.
Hospital or clinic based detox places strain on resources and funding, and is usually only available for extreme cases.
Aggregating funds together, between friends and family, can be a good approach to securing private treatment instead, where the individual can't finance it themselves.
Step 4 - Read The 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.
These two regulators ensure clinics are up to scratch, and send written reports to clinics with their findings, on how they can improve their service, and potential penalties, if they don't comply.
This includes feedback on staffing, care and support levels, management, and environment.
Clinic Inspections - What You Need to Know
In some visits, the provider is made aware in advance, that the inspection is occuring - these are what's known as "Announced" inspections. Other times, inspection teams show up without warning - these are "Unannounced" inspections - therefore, to get the most reliable information, look for reports which state the inspection was Unannounced.
Step 5 - Finalise The Details
It's now time to decide on one of the clinics you've looked at.
When you call the admissions team for the clinic you’ve chosen, expect to go through an initial telephone assessment, and pay a deposit towards treatment, as explained above.
A telephone assessment might last up to 30 minutes, after which the provider will likely request you to pay a deposit towards treatment, so that they can progress further with your admission.
It's a good time at this point to also sort out any payment by insurance policy, or other means.
Step 6 - Financing Treatment
As mentioned, paying a deposit secures your room in the clinic, prior to arrival.
The deposit could be anywhere from £500 - £3,000, depending on specifics. Most clinics accept payment over the phone by card.
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.
Outstanding Balance
Treatment providers will expect payment for the remainder of the balance of treatment, upon arrival the clinic.
Interest on late payment for a significant sum like this can be significant, so it's worth getting this done on time.
Step 7 - Admission
Make note of the day and time you're due to admit to treatment.
Bring along a few supplies with you, like those below. You should be able to arrange for anything else, after arrival.
It's worth checking usage policies re internet and wifi, and devices, as you may be disappointed if the clinic you've chosen asks you to hand them in, before your stay begins, without prior warning.
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.
At this point, congratulations! Your recovery journey has already begun.
Easy Rehab Q&A Cheatsheet
Thank you for reading the ultimate guide to finding the right rehab treatment for Bangor.
Abbeycare have provided this guide free of charge, to help you make the right decision when considering addiction rehab treatment options.
Abbeycare's UK clinics have been helping those in Bangor.
We've helped thousands overcome their addiction to alcohol or drugs.
There's no substitute for the years of experience we've had, assisting with even the most complex cases.
Even if you need transport arranged to get here, we can probably help with that too.
You can read our inspection reports from regulatory bodies, on our clinic pages, for: Abbeycare Scotland, and Abbeycare Gloucester.
Abbeycare admissions team can advise on options that suit your needs.
Our medical team can assist you to detox, safely, and comfortably.
Our therapeutic team can help you identify the issues behind addiction, and stop the pattern in your life.
Our clinic team are ready to help you get started.
Now....are you ready?
To get your questions answered, or to get started in recovery, our team can help, on 01603 513 091.
