For most, finding the right help for alcohol or drug issues in Rhymney, is confusing and difficult. Thousands blindly walk into addiction treatment in expensive rehab centres and find that the reality doesn't meet expectations.
Before taking the plunge, here's everything you need to know when shopping around for addiction help in Rhymney.
Step 1 - What Do You Want From Rehab?
At the bottom of another binge it can feel all too easy to quickly commit to the nearest clinic offering a fast detox. But use your needs, and past experience, first and foremost, as your guide to what treatment will work best.
Detox & Rehab: Short Term .v. Long Term
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?
- Unsure if you need detox, rehab, aftercare, or all 3? (Be truthful).
Committing unnecessarily to all 3 stages of treatment may see you paying too much, but not having enough support down the line could also mean paying the cost of rehab again.
When Is Close To Home, Too Close To Home?
Understandably, when feeling low and needing detox, most will opt for a clinic close to where they live.
Make comparisons instead, against level of care, support, and independent reviews from The Care Quality Commission (England & Wales) or The Care Inspectorate (Scotland).
Most clinics provide standard detox protocols and some form of therapy. But will they still be supporting you after you leave the clinic? It pays to shop around here.
See all the locations Abbeycare serve, here.
If You Have Complex Needs
Making sure you're getting the right support, can have a serious impact on long term results.
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 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
- 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 - Get The Low Down On What Happens Inside The 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.
Before admission, you should expect to complete an initial assessment over the phone with admissions staff, whose job it is to co-ordinate the information you provide with specialists inside the clinic, and ensure their facility can meet your needs.
What Is A Care Plan?
Clients are normally encouraged to actively monitor their progress towards recovery treatment goals and outcomes.
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. This part is important and can determine your progress later, so don't skip it.
KEY QUESTIONS
- To what extent is my care and management planned and mapped out?
- 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?
What's Rehab Treatment Like, Day To Day?
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.
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 lays out the timetable of events, and what's expected.
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. 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. Others may take much longer than this to progress. This level of variance between individuals is very normal.
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
- Can I see a virtual tour of the clinic, before committing?
- Give me an idea of how each day is structured, whilst in treatment?
- How do I get reassurance about the look and feel of the clinic, prior to arranging admission?
- Based on my information, how quickly would you want me to start taking part in the therapy schedule, following detox?
Does Covid-19 Affect My Rehab Treatment?
Since rehab treatment is usually a communal environment, you should expect to have to accommodate others on the journey.
Only with the support of others on the journey, can we hope to make a full recovery.
Achieving recovery in a covid-19 world, however, means making some accommodations along the way.
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.
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.
Like most things in life, it's tempting to go for simply the cheapest cost provider.
Working with minimalist care, in a clinic with spartan conditions is not conducive to personal breakthroughs. Instead, look for alternative providers with smaller programmes, headcount, and overheads, to strike the right balance.
Get a rough indication of costs at this stage by calling a few clinics direct and make it clear your call is just an initial enquiry, to avoid over-committing to one provider too early.
Alternative Options
Community-Led Support Channels
Most locations hold local Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings which can assist in the mutual aid and social elements of recovery.
For most at the start of the recovery journey though, detox options are a very real need, and not something that can be obtained without more specialist help.
Community support is invaluable, at the right stage in the process. But for short term help for detox, you'll need professional assistance.
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.
This is not a question of lack of intention to help, but more of resources and strain the healthcare system experiences, under heavy demand.
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 Impartial Consumer Reports
Reviews of your chosen provider are easy to find on the net, but are they real?
Enter The Care Quality Commission (E&W) and The Care Inspectorate (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.
Treatment providers are graded against standardised performance measures like environment, care standards, and support provided to clients.
Regulatory Inspections - Keynotes
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
Now that you've read up, and compared a few clinics, it's time to arrange admission.
The clinic team will ask you to complete a telephone questionnaire, to make sure they can meet your needs.
You can normally complete the necessary steps over the phone in 20 minutes or less, and then make an initial deposit towards treatment, that's used to hold the room in your name, until you arrive at the clinic.
Take the opportunity at this point to arrange payment via insurance policy, if applicable.
Step 6 - Arranging Payment
As mentioned, paying a deposit secures your room in the clinic, prior to arrival.
The deposit could be anywhere from £500 - £3,000, depending on specifics. Most clinics accept payment over the phone by card.
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.
Outstanding Balance
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.
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
By now, you should have an agreed time and date of arrival at a clinic.
Bring along a few supplies with you, like those below. You should be able to arrange for anything else, after arrival.
Check your booking confirmation for advice about mobile phone usage, internet access, visits, leisure facilities, and any special arrangements for covid-19.
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.
From this point on, your recovery journey has begun!
Are You Asking The Right Questions?
Thanks so much for reading the ultimate guide on finding rehab treatment in Rhymney.
You've completed our guide on finding the right rehab near Rhymney!
Abbeycare operate UK clinics providing help for alcohol or drug addiction for those in the Rhymney area.
We've worked with thousands from all over the world, and we can probably help you too.
All that experience has helped us assist those with even the most complicated detox and rehab needs.
Our team can even get transport organised too, if needed, from your location (with an extra charge).
How did we do with inspections from regulators? Check our reports, available on our clinic pages, here: Abbeycare Scotland, and Abbeycare Gloucester.
Our admissions team are ready to listen to your needs.
The Abbeycare medical team can help you detox comfortably.
Our therapy team are available, to help you identify triggers, patterns, and start truly overcoming them.
The Abbeycare clinic team are ready to help you co-ordinate everything.
Are you ready for recovery?
Ready to get started? All calls are confidential. Ring direct on 01603 513 091.
