Do you or a loved one need addiction treatment for alcohol or drugs? Many simply don't know how to compare treatment providers and end up settling for less.
Here's everything you need to know when buying rehab - including how to ask the right questions and weed out weaker options.
Step 1 - What Do You Want From Rehab?
At the bottom of another binge it can feel all too easy to quickly commit to the nearest clinic offering a fast detox. But considering first, what your treatment needs truly are, can help you pay for rehab just once, and not twice.
Detox-Only, Versus Full Rehabilitation Programme
A stay for alcohol or drug rehab normally follows the sequence Detox > Rehab > Aftercare, but do you need all three?
- Have you tried treatment previously, without success? Or even, tried going it alone without professional help? (Be truthful).
Opting for the full package will provide more support, but think about if it's necessary.
Clinic Location
Thinking of treatment nearby? It's a natural response when feeling low.
Unless you're extremely unwell, consider anything up to 100 mile radius and focus instead on quality of care.
Therapy levels vary wildly from clinic to clinic, and therapist to therapist. What feedback do you have on the clinic you plan to attend? It pays to shop around here.
See all the locations Abbeycare serve, here.
More Than One Previous Detox?
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.
If you've been detoxed in the past, and are looking for recovery afresh, it's a good idea to check on exactly what detox you'll get.
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 around to find a clinic with professionals who have experience in detoxing your substance type specifically, e.g. a high dose methadone detox is complex, and should be undertaken only by professionals with substantial experience.
KEY QUESTIONS
- In your experience, would someone with my detox needs be better suited for hospital detox?
- Is dealing with someone with my intake level and addiction history, a normal everyday client for your clinic?
- Will I be able to speak with someone who decides about my detox regimen, once admitted to the clinic?
Step 2 - The Rehab Need-To-Knows
What is the typical admission process?
Rehab clinics are not hospitals with shared wards - you'd normally have your own room in the clinic for the length of your stay. Some clinics also offer shared rooms - although this has become less common since the advent of coronavirus.
The provider you're working with should ask you some questions over the phone to make sure you're a good match - it's important to give honest answers, to avoid complications later.
Keeping Track Of Getting Better
Clients are normally encouraged to actively monitor their progress towards recovery treatment goals and outcomes.
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. This part is important and can determine your progress later, so don't skip it.
KEY QUESTIONS
- Do you provide a written plan for me to follow, during treatment?
- How do clinic staff know they're doing a good job at helping clients achieve recovery?
- What input do I have in planning my care?
- How is care planning done?
A Day In The Life
What is it like being in a rehab clinic?
Short of actually admitting to treatment, we need to ask questions here that let us know what we should expect to see, hear, and feel, once admitted to a clinic.
Every day new clients enter treatment and previous ones leave. Although everyone is at different stages of treatment, providers must keep everyone on track. This means preparing and issuing a daily agenda. This will give a clear indication of what activities happen when, where, and what's expected of you.
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. The pace of your treatment can vary. For example, for those with lighter intake levels, progression beyond the detox phase of clinic work can happen in just a few days. Other times, it takes longer for the body to process the left-over substances. Clinic staff understand this.
Also, make sure to ask to arrange a visit to look around the clinic, first.
KEY QUESTIONS
- How can I see what's inside the clinic, online?
- Do you have sample daily agendas for treatment I can look at?
- How do I get reassurance about the look and feel of the clinic, prior to arranging admission?
- When do I get to start taking part in the therapeutic help inside the clinic?
A Word About Covid-19
Since rehab treatment is usually a communal environment, you should expect to have to accommodate others on the journey.
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 - 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.
If you're tempted to opt for the cheapest clinic straight away, think twice.
Working with minimalist care, in a clinic with spartan conditions is not conducive to personal breakthroughs. Instead, look for alternative providers with smaller programmes, headcount, and overheads, to strike the right balance.
Use this step to get a clear idea of what rough budget you can commit to treatment, ringing round a few providers for initial pricing if needed.
Options Beyond Rehab
Community-Led Support Channels
Most cities and towns across the world play host to mutual aid style meetings locally, like the 12 step driven groups of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.
However, specialist medical help will be required to kick start the journey with detox, which cannot be obtained via such community groups.
Mutual aid meetings have earned their place in everyone's recovery. But initially, it's important to get professional help to detox safely, and comfortably.
NHS/Public Funding Options
Requesting a referral to your local CAT (Community Addictions Team) from your GP normally means being assigned to a local keyworker who will help you keep track of intake, effects it has, etc, but obtaining short-term rehab help via public healthcare, is unlikely.
Eligibility for short term detox is slim, and is usually restricted to only a handful of cases.
In reality, where the need for detox is urgent, we often see families and groups of friends pooling funds together, to help a loved one access treatment faster, from a private provider.
Step 4 - Find Objective Reviews
While many providers will claim to show many positive reviews, their legitimacy is not always clear.
Enter The Care Quality Commission (E&W) and The Care Inspectorate (Scotland).
These regulatory bodies complete inspections to ensure a minimum level of service is met.
Clinics are graded across multiple areas of care, including support standards, management, and clinical environment.
Important - Regulator Inspections
When looking for CQC or Care Inspectorate reports, always look for those stating the visit was "Unannounced" instead of "Announced" - this means the provider was not aware the inspection was occurring, and hence is most likely to provide most insight into genuine standards of care.
Step 5 - Finalise The Details
It's now time to decide on one of the clinics you've looked at.
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.
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.
Take the opportunity at this point to arrange payment via insurance policy, if applicable.
Exploring Prestatyn's recovery solutions.
Step 6 - Financing Treatment
As mentioned, paying a deposit secures your room in the clinic, prior to arrival.
Most clinics will expect a deposit of £2,000 or more.
You won't find many clinics offering payment options directly, unfortunately.
An email confirmation of your booking is usually sent to you, confirming the next steps.
Remaining Balance
Treatment providers will expect payment for the remainder of the balance of treatment, upon arrival the clinic.
Pay this on time to avoid surcharges that could quickly mount up later.
Step 7 - Admitting To A Clinic
Did you get a booking confirmation, containing the practical details, like date and time you're due to arrive for treatment? If not, request one now.
You'll need to bring a few basic necessities with you:
Make sure to check paperwork for any restrictions on device usage (not all clinics allow this), internet access, and visits from family.
Do you have transport to the clinic organised? Making sure of this will help avoid any potential extra charges levied for late arrival.
And of course, enjoy your recovery!
Asking The Right Questions
Thanks so much for reading the ultimate guide on finding rehab treatment in Colwyn Bay.
Thanks for reading our free guide.
Abbeycare operate UK clinics providing help for alcohol or drug addiction for those in the Colwyn Bay area.
Thousands have already joined Abbeycare to overcome addiction, from every corner of the globe.
All these years we've stuck to the basics that work - structured detox, therapy, and aftercare solutions that help get folks back on track.
We can even arrange to assist with transport to the clinic (some extra charges do apply).
You can read our inspection reports from regulatory bodies, on our clinic pages, for: Abbeycare Scotland, and Abbeycare Gloucester.
Our admissions team can advise on what options are available.
Our medical team are ready to help you detox, comfortably.
Our therapy team are available, to help you identify triggers, patterns, and start truly overcoming them.
The Abbeycare clinic team are ready to help you co-ordinate everything.
The only thing left is - are you ready?
To ask a question, or to arrange admission, ring our team now on 01603 513 091.
