If you're looking for drug or alcohol addiction help - you'll have already realised the myriad of options on offer. Many simply don't know how to compare treatment providers and end up settling for less.
Our comprehensive guide includes guidance on how to compare providers when shopping around.
Step 1 - Needs .v. Wants
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 .v. Rehab
Some providers can try to sell Rehab, and even Aftercare, upfront, before you've even started treatment, but do you really need all these?
- Unsure if you need detox, rehab, aftercare, or all 3?
You could go for a detox-only programme, but run greater risk of future relapse if other supports are not in place.
Treatment Near Conwy
Understandably, when feeling low and needing detox, most will opt for a clinic close to where they live.
Unless you're extremely unwell, consider anything up to 100 mile radius and focus instead on quality of care.
Clinics have to pass muster with regulators re the basics of detox and rehab, but how supportive is their team? What is the staff:client numbers ratio? What happens if you struggle in future? It pays to shop around here.
See all the locations Abbeycare serve, here.
A Past History Of Addiction
The quality of support you receive from the clinic team, can make or break recovery results.
If you've had detoxes in the past, or complications like liver or other issues, you'll want to be extra careful here.
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
- Are you a rehab clinic, or a hospital?
- What experience do you have in administering detox for individuals with my specific intake and frequency?
- If there are unexpected issues during my detox, what happens?
Step 2 - The Day To Day Inside A Clinic
What is day to day addiction treatment inside the clinic actually like?
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.
How Do I Monitor Progress?
Reputable clinics will try to personalise the care you receive, as far as possible.
In the best clinics, where personal attention is high, you'll work with an assigned case manager, throughout your stay, who should help you draw up a care plan, in this way.
Together you'll map out key milestones, while accounting for past addictive patterns and behaviours. This part is important and can determine your progress later, so don't skip it.
KEY QUESTIONS
- What sort of care planning takes place when I enter the clinic?
- How do I make sure I stay on track during treatment?
- What will my care plan include?
- Am I passed from one staff member to another, as shifts change?
Life Inside The Clinic
Tell me about the daily routine 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 agenda is a good guide to what happens each day and what you'll be involved in.
Detox from alcohol or substance misuse in a clinic can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks, depending on multiple factors. 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. Sometimes it will take longer than this to get a clear head again. This variation is natural.
Visiting the clinic before committing to treatment will also help you gauge just what the everyday is like, inside a centre, before committing financially.
KEY QUESTIONS
- What see inside photos do you have, of the clinic, online?
- Give me an idea of how each day is structured, whilst in treatment?
- How do I arrange to see inside the clinic, before admitting?
- When do I get to start taking part in the therapeutic help inside the clinic?
Addiction Treatment & Covid-19
Rehab is almost always a group exercise, even at higher end clinics.
Only with the support of others on the journey, can we hope to make a full recovery.
Making long term recovery gains today, means being careful to check on some basics re covid-19 preparedness and preventative measures.
Step 3 - Planning The Financials Of Rehab
Getting funds together for rehab in Conwy takes planning, for most families.
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.
As you can imagine, the cheapest provider is not always the best.
Cheap providers often involve minimal rooms or living conditions, and poor therapy. Look instead for smaller providers, with more personal attention.
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.
Alternative Options
Support In The Community
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.
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
In the first instance, it's possible to present to your GP and discuss the possibility of referral to your local addictions team, in the NHS. They will usually help you monitor the effects of addiction in your life, but are unable to refer or provide funding for immediate detox, in most cases.
Hospital or clinic based detox places strain on resources and funding, and is usually only available for extreme 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 - Get Independent Reviews
Review platforms are widespread nowadays and some reviews are not always trustworthy.
Our heroes here are the industry watchdogs - The Care Commission, and The Care Inspectorate.
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.
Service providers receive a full report on the watchdog's findings.
Regulatory Reviews - The Need To Knows
Inspections can be "announced" (the clinic is aware in advance) or "unannounced" (inspection teams arrive without warning) - so for the best insight into everyday care levels, check for unannounced reports.
Step 5 - Choose A Clinic
With the homework all done, it's time to get serious about arranging treatment at one of the providers you've shortlisted.
Expect to go through a few questions initially, when you call the provider you've chosen - this is normal.
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.
If you’re paying via an insurance policy, this is the time that will get sorted out also.
Step 6 - Arranging Payment
Most clinics will expect payment of a deposit, toward the full balance of treatment, prior to admitting.
Because the total booking value is high, even a small percentage deposit could work out anywhere from £2,000 - £4,000 for the higher end providers.
The days of clinics offering finance facilities directly, are mostly gone, although a few do still offer in-house plans to pay for treatment.
Make sure to get an email confirmation of deposit paid, and confirmation of what happens next.
Paying For The Rest Of Treatment
Clinics will normally expect payment of the remaining balance of treatment, upon arrival and admission to the clinic, so be prepared to make a payment at this time.
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
By now, you should have an agreed time and date of arrival at a clinic.
You'll usually be asked to bring certain essentials with you:
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.
And of course, enjoy your recovery!
Print Our Cheatsheet To Easily Compare Providers
Thank you for reading the ultimate guide to finding the right rehab treatment for Conwy.
Thanks for reading our ultimate guide to finding treatment help in Conwy.
Abbeycare's UK clinics are available to those in Conwy.
Thousands have already joined Abbeycare to overcome addiction, from every corner of the globe.
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.
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.
The Abbeycare medical team can help you detox comfortably.
Our addiction specialist therapists can help you overcome the underlying issues of addiction.
Our clinic team - many of them in recovery personally - are ready to get you started.
The only thing left is - are you ready?
To get your questions answered, or to get started in recovery, our team can help, on 01603 513 091.
