Private rehab treatment for alcohol or drug addiction can be expensive, and low-cost or free alternatives are seldom available. It's easy to end up paying too much for a treatment clinic that underdelivers.
Our comprehensive guide will walk you through finding the right help, at the right price. In a hurry? Download our printable Q&A guide to have handy when you speak with providers.
Step 1 - Understanding What You Need
When you or a loved one are finally ready for help, it can be tempting to pick up the phone and sign up for the first rehab clinic you can find. But spending just a little time getting clear on what you truly need, can save a costly mistake.
Detox .v. Rehab
A stay for alcohol or drug rehab normally follows the sequence Detox > Rehab > Aftercare, but do you need all three?
- Do you need all three stages of treatment, detox > rehab > aftercare? Think about this carefully.
Opting for the full package will provide more support, but think about if it's necessary.
When Is Close To Home, Too Close To Home?
Thinking of treatment nearby? It's a natural response when feeling low.
Looking farther afield can potentially mean finding a higher standard of care, for less cost.
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.
Complex Detox Requirements
You should know: your progress in treatment can depend heavily on the strength of the clinic staff around you, and the support of your peers.
Multiple previous detoxes, or challenging liver issues, should mean you're extra careful that the clinic can accommodate your needs, both safely, and comfortably.
Specific detoxes that may need more specialist intervention include high dose methadone transfers, multi-substance detoxes, or cases with previous hospital admission for addiction.
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?
- What professionals in the clinic are admininstering detox?
- If I have questions about my specific detox needs, who would I speak to?
Step 2 - The Rehab Need-To-Knows
How does admitting to rehab work?
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).
Since every individual is different, and needs can vary widely, (even two people consuming the same amount of alcohol or drugs can need very different timescale and treatment) - a personal assessment is usually needed, before admission to a clinic can go ahead.
Keeping Track Of Getting Better
Whilst all clinics operate a group environment generally, most should look to help you keep track of your progress, and monitor treatment goals reached.
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.
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. It's worth making the effort here.
KEY QUESTIONS
- Do I get an individualised care plan that I have input into?
- How do you help clients measure goals and progress?
- What will my care plan include?
- Is there a member of staff assigned to me personally?
What Do I Do In The Clinic, Each Day?
What's the daily routine, inside a rehab, during treatment?
The structure of each day will vary of course, from one provider to the next.
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 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. Getting clear of the physical effects of alcohol or substance misuse in detox could take 3-6 days, for lighter use cases. Sometimes, detox will last much longer. This level of variance between individuals is very normal.
Call the clinic's admissions team to arrange to look around the inside of the centre before completing any paperwork. This can give you a real feel for how the day to day looks and feels.
KEY QUESTIONS
- Can I see a virtual tour of the clinic, before committing?
- Do you have sample daily agendas for treatment I can look at?
- Do you offer the opportunity to look around the clinic before admitting?
- When do you expect me to start taking part in the therapy process?
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 doing so safely, in the age of Covid-19, means ensuring the clinic you choose has provisions in place to guard against risk of infection.
Step 3 - What Budget Is Available For Treatment?
Decide firstly, are you going down the public or private route?
The differences between public and private options are vast.
Your mental health matters, and because of the costs involved, it's easy to opt for a very low end provider, with minimal support. Not always a great idea.
Instead, to keep costs reasonable but standards high, consider providers further afield, or smaller clinics with a lower headcount and rural location.
Without committing yet, get in touch with at least 3 potential treatment centres and ask about costs and your needs. You'll also get some insight here as to how much attention each provider pays and their levels of care.
Options Beyond Rehab
Support In The Community
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.
Sadly, community aids like this are unable to help with the most acute phase, needed at the start of recovery - detox.
AA, NA, and the big book groups have millions of followers and attendees, and have been very successful over the years. But for short term help for detox, you'll need professional assistance.
NHS/Public Funding 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.
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 - Read The Reviews
Review platforms are widespread nowadays and some reviews are not always trustworthy.
Enter The Care Quality Commission (E&W) and The Care Inspectorate (Scotland).
These two regulatory bodies inspect rehab clinics on a regular basis (usually annually) and produce written reports on their findings.
Service providers receive a full report on the watchdog's findings.
Important - Regulator Inspections
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 - Arrange Admission
With the homework all done, it's time to get serious about arranging treatment at one of the providers you've shortlisted.
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.
After the assessment is complete, the clinic will start making preparations for your stay - to do this, they'll need some commitment from you, in the form of a deposit payment - this holds the room in your name, and allows the team to start making arrangements.
Now is also the time to finalise any other arrangements re payment, like paying via insurance policy.
Step 6 - Financing Treatment
As above, expect to pay a deposit prior to admission.
Expect to pay anywhere from £1,800 to £4,000 to book a place in a treatment provider's clinic.
It's less common nowadays to see treatment clinics themselves offering payment plan options.
Make sure to get an email confirmation of deposit paid, and confirmation of what happens next.
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
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.
Bring along a few supplies with you, like those below. You should be able to arrange for anything else, after arrival.
Your booking confirmation or documentation received should note guidance on extras such as internet usage, family visits, and precautions or special measures in place as a result of covid-19.
Do you have transport to the clinic organised? Making sure of this will help avoid any potential extra charges levied for late arrival.
Now, enjoy your recovery!
Print Our Cheatsheet To Easily Compare Providers
Thanks for reading our guide.
Thanks for reading our ultimate guide to finding treatment help in Johnstown.
Abbeycare operate UK clinics providing help for alcohol or drug addiction for those in the Johnstown area.
Since 2005, we've been helping thousands to overcome addiction, comfortably, and safely.
All that experience has helped us assist those with even the most complicated detox and rehab needs.
Even if you need transport arranged to get here, we can probably help with that too.
Our clinic inspection reports are available on the relevent service pages: Abbeycare Scotland, Abbeycare Gloucester.
Abbeycare admissions team can advise on options that suit your needs.
The Abbeycare medical team can help you detox comfortably.
Our therapists are ready to help you get the insights you need, to stop the pattern of addiction, and reclaim your life.
Our clinic team are ready to help you get started.
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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