New to addiction treatment? Clinic programmes and options for private addiction help can be confusing. It's easy to end up paying too much for a treatment clinic that underdelivers.
Before taking the plunge, here's everything you need to know when shopping around for addiction help in Neath.
Step 1 - What Do You Want From Rehab?
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. Get off to the right start by deciding first what you need - detox, rehab, or both?
Detox .v. Rehab
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 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.
Finding Rehab Near Neath
Caught up in the need for detox, many will commit too early to a clinic as close as possible to home, without thinking ahead.
But the provider on your doorstep doesn't necessarily provide the best overall value, in the context of your entire recovery journey.
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? Researching the most appropriate option for you personally, can yield big long term results in your sobriety, later.
See all the locations Abbeycare serve, here.
More Than One Previous Detox?
The quality of support you receive from the clinic team, can make or break recovery results.
This can be especially important where you have complex drug or alcohol detox needs.
The clinic team over the phone should be able to give a rough indication of how they'll approach your treatment.
Ask if the clinic you're dealing with has specialist professionals who've delivered your detox in the past, and with what results.
KEY QUESTIONS
- In your experience, would someone with my detox needs be better suited for hospital detox?
- What addiction experience do your prescribing professionals have?
- If I have questions about my specific detox needs, who would I speak to?
Step 2 - Get The Low Down On What Happens Inside The Clinic
What is day to day addiction treatment inside the clinic actually like?
Private rehab clinics are centres where all the normal addiction treatment options like detox, therapy, and relapse prevention, are provided in a private setting, all under one roof, with specialists in the field. With your own room, and seclusion away from the addiction triggers in normal life, you have a chance to truly recover.
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.
Mapping Out Needs And Treatment Goals
Whilst all clinics operate a group environment generally, most should look to help you keep track of your progress, and monitor treatment goals reached.
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.
Be sure to take an active part in this, to avoid having standardised goals laid out, that don't match your preferences or personal situation. Make sure to take an active part in this stage.
KEY QUESTIONS
- Is the care planning the same for every client, or is it personalised to me?
- How do clinic staff know they're doing a good job at helping clients achieve recovery?
- Does care planning account for my detox needs, therapy needs, or both?
- Is there a member of staff assigned to me personally?
Life Inside The Clinic
What is it like being in a rehab clinic?
Without actually being in the clinic, the closest you can get is to ask questions about the daily experience of life in the clinic.
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 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.
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 it will take longer than this to get a clear head again. This variation is natural.
Always enquire about having a look around the clinic, by visiting first, before committing. Most clinics don't have an open-door policy, but will happily let you see inside, by arrangement.
KEY QUESTIONS
- Do you have a virtual online tour I can take?
- Can you send me an example of what the daily schedule is like, in the clinic?
- Can I arrange a visit to the clinic, to look around, without obligation, before committing?
- When do you expect me to start taking part in the therapy process?
Does Covid-19 Affect My Rehab Treatment?
They say, that rehab and recovery are team sports.
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?
Getting funds together for rehab in Neath takes planning, for most families.
Third sector organisations providing full stack care (detox, therapy, aftercare) under one roof are few and far between, but worth investigating in your area.
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.
Double check standards of care and therapy provided for lower cost providers - you may be surprised. Opt instead for a middle-tier clinic, with a better balance of cost to care levels provided.
Call round a few providers, using our cheatsheet if needed - and get a feel for pricing, and whether they can meet your needs comfortably. Don't commit to anything just yet.
Options Beyond Rehab
Support In The Community
Big Book, or 12 step meetings, are available via groups such as AA and NA, across most towns and cities.
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.
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.
Usually, only the more complex cases with a long history of addiction are considered for placement into specialist detox units.
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
Reviews on websites are easy to pass off as genuine, but how do you really know they are?
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.
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.
This includes feedback on staffing, care and support levels, management, and environment.
Regulatory Reviews - The Need To Knows
In some visits, the provider is made aware in advance, that the inspection is occuring - these are what's known as "Announced" inspections. Other times, inspection teams show up without warning - these are "Unannounced" inspections - therefore, to get the most reliable information, look for reports which state the inspection was Unannounced.
Step 5 - Complete The Initial Assessment
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.
It's a good time at this point to also sort out any payment by insurance policy, or other means.
Step 6 - Financing Treatment
As mentioned above, paying a deposit means the clinic can prepare for your arrival, and allocate your room booking.
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.
Not many clinics remain, who offer finance payment plans, directly.
An email confirmation of your booking is usually sent to you, confirming the next steps.
The Remaining Funding
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.
Pay this on time to avoid surcharges that could quickly mount up later.
Step 7 - Get Started
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:
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.
Treatment centres must co-ordinate their clinical and medical teams availability for your arrival - so being on time matters. Try to arrange your transport to the clinic, ahead of time, to make sure things run smoothly.
At this point, congratulations! Your recovery journey has already begun.
Easy Rehab Q&A Cheatsheet
Thank you for reading the ultimate guide to finding the right rehab treatment for Neath.
Thanks so much for reading our buyer's guide.
Abbeycare operate UK clinics providing help for alcohol or drug addiction for those in the Neath area.
We've worked with thousands from all over the world, and we can probably help you too.
All these years we've stuck to the basics that work - structured detox, therapy, and aftercare solutions that help get folks back on track.
Even if you're not local, we can still help with transport into treatment (full transparency - some costs do apply).
Our inspection reports from the regulators, are available on our clinic pages, here: Abbeycare Scotland, Abbeycare Gloucester.
Our admissions team are ready to listen to your needs.
Detox is possible, safely and comfortably, with the help of our medical team.
The Abbeycare therapy team are specialists in helping you identify and work through the underlying triggers behind addiction.
Our clinic team are ready to help you get started.
Are you ready?
Ready to get started? All calls are confidential. Ring direct on 01603 513 091.
