For most, finding the right help for alcohol or drug issues in Maesteg, is confusing and difficult. Many simply don't know how to compare treatment providers and end up settling for less.
If you're considering expensive rehab treatment - read our need-to-knows before taking the plunge.
Step 1 - What Do You Need?
Having gone through months (years?) of denial, when we're ready for treatment, it's easy to rush ahead into the first detox provider you call. But, choosing the wrong provider early on, might mean drawing the wrong conclusions about recovery, and what's possible for your future.
Detox .v. Rehab
Whilst most follow the conventional programme of detox, then rehab, then aftercare, it's possible to do only one of these. But is it right for you?
- Have you been detoxed before? (Be truthful).
Be honest with yourself here, as going the detox-only route initially, when underlying work is truly needed, often ends in paying for treatment twice, not once.
When Is Close To Home, Too Close To Home?
The convenience of a nearby clinic can seem appealing when feeling in need of detox.
Make comparisons instead, against level of care, support, and independent reviews from The Care Quality Commission (England & Wales) or The Care Inspectorate (Scotland).
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? 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.
Multi-Substance Detox, Or Previous Attempts At Rehab
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.
This can be especially important where you have complex drug or alcohol detox needs.
Specific detoxes that may need more specialist intervention include high dose methadone transfers, multi-substance detoxes, or cases with previous hospital admission for addiction.
Does the medical team at a given clinic specialise in addiction? Or do they practice in more general matters, with addiction as a second interest?
KEY QUESTIONS
- Are you a rehab clinic, or a hospital?
- Is dealing with someone with my intake level and addiction history, a normal everyday client for your clinic?
- If I have questions about my specific detox needs, who would I speak to?
Step 2 - What Does A Stay In Rehab Actually Involve?
What should I expect, inside an addiction clinic?
You'll stay full time in a clinic, normally with a dedicated room and your own space, complete detox, and attend therapeutic sessions several times a week. Towards the end of your stay, the clinic should set up supports for the future. More about that later.
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.
How Do I Monitor Progress?
Reputable clinics will try to personalise the care you receive, as far as possible.
This means a 'care plan' is drawn up, and agreed by you and your assigned care manager.
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
- Do I get an individualised care plan that I have input into?
- How do clinic staff know they're doing a good job at helping clients achieve recovery?
- What will my care plan include?
- Is there continuity whilst in treatment, of who I deal with, each day?
Life Inside The Clinic
What's the daily routine, inside a rehab, during treatment?
It can be tricky to discern exactly what happens each day in treatment, as the routine can vary.
In treatment, you should receive some form of agenda for each day of the week. This schedule will be your guide for day to day life in the clinic, as you move through the stages of treatment in your care plan.
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. Some will be ready to start therapeutic work after just a few days. Sometimes it will take longer than this to get a clear head again. 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
- How can I see what's inside 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?
- Based on my information, how quickly would you want me to start taking part in the therapy schedule, following detox?
Addiction Treatment & 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 - Managing The Budget For Treatment
Decide firstly, are you going down the public or private route?
There are few half way house providers that exist generally, between public providers, and private treatment, so get clear from the start on which you need.
If you're tempted to opt for the cheapest clinic straight away, think twice.
Instead, to keep costs reasonable but standards high, consider providers further afield, or smaller clinics with a lower headcount and rural location.
By calling and comparing a few treatment providers against each other, this step should give you a sense of what rehab will cost.
Other Ways To Get Help
AA/NA/GA Meetings
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.
However, specialist medical help will be required to kick start the journey with detox, which cannot be obtained via such community groups.
Community support is invaluable, at the right stage in the process. But initially, it's important to get professional help to detox safely, and comfortably.
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.
At best, only the most extreme or chronic cases are normally considered for hospital detox or residential clinics.
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 - Find Objective Reviews
Review platforms are widespread nowadays and some reviews are not always trustworthy.
In these situations we need an independent and impartial regulator's opinion - in this case, The Care Quality Commission (CQC) for England and Wales, and The Care Inspectorate, for Scotland.
The CQC and The Care Inspectorate are the industry regulators, and complete routine inspections of private rehabs, which are often classified under the 'Care Homes' category, in their records.
Clinics are graded across multiple areas of care, including support standards, management, and clinical environment.
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 - Complete The Initial Assessment
At this point, you've got enough info to decide on one of the clinics you've seen.
Normally, the provider will take you through a few initial questions, when you call, to make sure you're a good fit, and will work well together.
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.
Any additional financial issues, such as paying via insurance policy, would normally also be sorted out at this stage.
Step 6 - Deposits & Paying For Treatment
As mentioned above, paying a deposit means the clinic can prepare for your arrival, and allocate your room booking.
Depending on total costs, your deposit could be anywhere from £500 - £3,000 or more.
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.
Balance To Pay
The balance to pay for treatment, if not paying via insurance or a third party, is usually due when you arrive to admit to the clinic.
To avoid excess charges later, it's best to settle this on time.
Step 7 - Admit to treatment
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.
Pack enough essentials for your treatment duration, like:
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.
From this point on, your recovery journey has begun!
The Top Questions To Ask
Thanks for reading our guide.
Thanks for reading our free guide.
Abbeycare have central UK locations, and serve the Maesteg area.
We've helped hundreds (thousands probably) move beyond addiction, and start a new life.
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.
Check our independent inspection reports, available on our clinic pages for 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.
Our clinic team are ready to help you make the progress you need.
The only question is - are you ready?
We'll help get things moving. Ring us direct, on 01603 513 091.
