For most, finding the right help for alcohol or drug issues in St Julians, is confusing and difficult. Thousands blindly walk into addiction treatment in expensive rehab centres and find that the reality doesn't meet expectations.
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 - What Do 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 considering first, what your treatment needs truly are, can help you pay for rehab just once, and not twice.
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 tried treatment previously, without success? Or even, tried going it alone without professional help? It's important to be clear on this.
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.
Location, Location, Location?
Thinking of treatment nearby? It's a natural response when feeling low.
Make comparisons instead, against level of care, support, and independent reviews from The Care Quality Commission (England & Wales) or The Care Inspectorate (Scotland).
Detox can be found in many places, but a strong rehabilitation programme with excellent therapy can mean much greater progress in the long term. Asking a few basics like these upfront can save a lot of headache later.
Previous/Complex Detoxes
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.
Specific detoxes that may need more specialist intervention include high dose methadone transfers, multi-substance detoxes, or cases with previous hospital admission for addiction.
Getting reassurance that the provider is not only ready to detox you based on your needs, but has done so many times for others in the past, is important.
KEY QUESTIONS
- How long should detox take, for me?
- Do you have specialist addiction medics prescribing detox?
- Will I be able to speak with someone who decides about my detox regimen, once admitted to the clinic?
Step 2 - Get The Low Down On What Happens Inside The Clinic
What is the typical admission process?
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).
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.
Keeping Track Of Getting Better
Reputable clinics will try to personalise the care you receive, as far as possible.
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.
Whilst not the most exciting part of the journey, this is a necessary means to help you monitor progress toward your long term vision. Any input at this stage will likely pay dividends later.
KEY QUESTIONS
- Do you provide a written plan for me to follow, during treatment?
- How do I know if I'm on the right track, during treatment?
- What input do I have in planning my care?
- Is there continuity whilst in treatment, of who I deal with, each day?
What Do I Do In The Clinic, Each Day?
What is it like being in a rehab clinic?
Short of actually admitting to treatment, we need to ask questions here that let us know what we should expect to see, hear, and feel, once admitted to a clinic.
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.
Factors such as previous detoxes, history of relapse, amount and duration of intake, and others, will determine how long the detox stage of treatment takes. Depending on usage levels, many will be able to progress to the next stage of treatment after just a few days. Sometimes it will take longer than this to get a clear head again. This variation is natural.
Also, make sure to ask to arrange a visit to look around the clinic, first.
KEY QUESTIONS
- Can I see a virtual tour of the clinic, before committing?
- Do I take part in daily activities even during detox?
- How do I get reassurance about the look and feel of the clinic, prior to arranging admission?
- When do you expect me to start taking part in the therapy process?
Does Covid-19 Affect My Rehab Treatment?
Rehab is almost always a group exercise, even at higher end clinics.
In fact, a big part of recovering in the longer term, is re-learning to interact with others, and break the old patterns of isolation.
Making long term recovery gains today, means being careful to check on some basics re covid-19 preparedness and preventative measures.
Step 3 - Planning A Budget For Rehab
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.
Instead, seeking out non-brand name providers, who spend less on business and more on care levels, can pay off.
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.
Other Ways To Get Help
AA/NA/GA Meetings
Most locations hold local Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings which can assist in the mutual aid and social elements of recovery.
However, specialist medical help will be required to kick start the journey with detox, which cannot be obtained via such community groups.
Thousands benefit from local community groups every week. But for short term help for detox, you'll need professional assistance.
NHS Addiction Options
Obtaining short-term detox from NHS services is unlikely, due to demand on resources.
Eligibility for short term detox is slim, and is usually restricted to only a handful of 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
Reviews on websites are easy to pass off as genuine, but how do you really know they are?
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.
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.
Important - Regulator Inspections
There are 2 types of clinic inspections you need to know about - "Unannounced" and "Announced". "Unannounced" means the inspection team arrived at the provider with no forewarning; "Announced" means the clinic were aware of the visit in advance; therefore, always seek out reports detailing "Unannounced" inspections, to get the clearest picture possible, of day-to-day standards, inside the clinic.
Step 5 - Finalise The Details
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 - Paying For Rehab
As above, expect to pay a deposit prior to admission.
Depending on total costs, your deposit could be anywhere from £500 - £3,000 or more.
The days of clinics offering finance facilities directly, are mostly gone, although a few do still offer in-house plans to pay for treatment.
Ask for an email confirmation of booking, and get clarity on when the admission details will be finalised, and your date of admission confirmed.
Paying For The Rest Of Treatment
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
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.
You'll usually be asked to bring certain essentials with you:
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.
Most clinics have a busy schedule and making sure you arrive on time is important. Getting your means of transport to the clinic organised ahead of time, will ensure things are effortless, on the day.
From this point on, your recovery journey has begun!
Easy Rehab Q&A Cheatsheet
Thanks for reading our guide.
Our printable cheatsheet lays out the exact questions to ask, in a printable PDF format.
Download it on our main guide page here (direct download - no sign up required). You can download it here.
You've completed our guide on finding the right rehab near St Julians!
Abbeycare operate UK clinics providing help for alcohol or drug addiction for those in the St Julians area.
We've helped thousands overcome their addiction to alcohol or drugs.
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.
Check our independent inspection reports, available on our clinic pages for Scotland, and The Hygrove.
Our admissions team are ready to listen to your needs.
Detox is available, with comfort and safety, 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 make the progress you need.
The only thing left is - are you ready?
To get your questions answered, or to get started in recovery, our team can help, on 01603 513 091.
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