Private rehab treatment for alcohol or drug addiction can be expensive, and low-cost or free alternatives are seldom available. 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 - Detox .v. Rehab
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. Get off to the right start by deciding first what you need - detox, rehab, or both?
Detox-Only, Versus Full Rehabilitation 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.
- Unsure if you need detox, rehab, aftercare, or all 3? (Be honest).
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.
Unless you're extremely unwell, consider anything up to 100 mile radius and focus instead on quality of care.
Detox can be found in many places, but a strong rehabilitation programme with excellent therapy can mean much greater progress in the long term. It pays to shop around here.
See all the locations Abbeycare serve, here.
If You Have Complex Needs
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.
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.
Likewise for therapeutic help, what specialist qualifications in addiction do the team have? Ask here about issues that have been sticking points for you in the past, and their suitability to help.
KEY QUESTIONS
- Do you foresee any complications with my detox?
- What experience do you have in administering detox for individuals with my specific intake and frequency?
- If I have questions about my specific detox needs, who would I speak to?
Step 2 - Understand How Rehab Works
Tell me about how treatment works.
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).
The clinic you enquire with, have to make sure they can look after you and your needs for detox and rehab. They'll ask some standard questions about your usage, and history with addiction. This is normal, and it's important for them to rule out extreme cases where their environment may not be safe, or provide a comfortable detox experience.
What Is A Care Plan?
If your clinic provides strong personal attention in the programme, they should help you map out what you want from treatment, exactly.
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 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. Make sure to take an active part in this stage.
KEY QUESTIONS
- What sort of care planning takes place when I enter the clinic?
- How do you help clients measure goals and progress?
- What input do I have in planning my care?
- Is there a member of staff assigned to me personally?
What Do I Do In The Clinic, Each Day?
What Is Day To Day Life Like, In Treatment?
It can be tricky to discern exactly what happens each day in treatment, as the routine can vary.
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 time it takes to feel better at the initial stages of treatment is personal to each individual. Detox could last just a few days. Others may take much longer than this to progress. This is normal.
Also, make sure to ask to arrange a visit to look around the clinic, first.
KEY QUESTIONS
- Is it possible to see internal photos of the centre, before admitting?
- 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?
Does Covid-19 Affect My Rehab Treatment?
Rehab is almost always a group exercise, even at higher end clinics.
Gains achieved during treatment can be amplified by the help of the peer group around you.
But recovery gains can only be made safely, with consideration to other health factors, in the bigger picture.
Step 3 - What Budget Is Available For Treatment?
Public health services are usually free, but rarely provide detox, or speedy access to treatment. Private providers are more specialist, with a joined up approach, but come at a cost.
The differences between public and private options are vast.
Automatically choosing the lowest price provider can lead to poor care levels inside the clinic, detrimental to your recovery progress.
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.
Other Avenues For Help
Support In The Community
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.
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 the first stage of help - physically detoxing - will need more specialist care.
Public Healthcare For Addiction
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.
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 - Read The Only Impartial Reports
Reviews of your chosen provider are easy to find on the net, but are they real?
Arm yourself from the outset, with the *only* truly impartial consumer report available for private clinics - the Care Quality Commission (England & Wales) and/or Care Inspectorate (Scotland) inspection reports.
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.
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 - Finalise The Details
Now is the time to come to a decision about where you're completing treatment.
The clinic team will ask you to complete a telephone questionnaire, to make sure they can meet your needs.
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.
Now is also the time to finalise any other arrangements re payment, like paying via insurance policy.
Step 6 - Financing Treatment
As mentioned above, paying a deposit means the clinic can prepare for your arrival, and allocate your room booking.
Expect to pay anywhere from £1,800 to £4,000 to book a place in a treatment provider's clinic.
You won't find many clinics offering payment options directly, unfortunately.
Ask for an email confirmation of booking, and get clarity on when the admission details will be finalised, and your date of admission confirmed.
Balance To Pay
The provider will likely ask you to settle the remainder of the treatment balance due, after arrival at 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 - Admitting To A Clinic
Now it's time for the practical stuff of admitting. Double check you have a note of your confirmed date and time your due to admit to the clinic.
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.
It's also worth ensuring travel arrangement ahead of schedule - as some providers with have surcharges for late arrival.
From this point on, your recovery journey has begun!
Asking The Right Questions
Thanks so much for reading the ultimate guide on finding rehab treatment in Llanelli.
Thanks for reading our free guide.
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.
Even if you need transport arranged to get here, we can probably help with that too.
Our inspection reports from the regulators, are available on our clinic pages, here: Abbeycare Scotland, Abbeycare Gloucester.
Our admissions team can advise on what options are available.
Detox is possible, safely and comfortably, with the help of our medical team.
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.
Now....are you ready?
To ask a question, or to arrange admission, ring our team now on 01603 513 091.
