If you're looking for drug or alcohol addiction help - you'll have already realised the myriad of options on offer. Choosing the wrong provider can mean serious consequences for future sobriety, relationships, and family life.
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 Want From Rehab?
Having newly made the life changing decision to get help can feel rejuvenating....as well as more than a little vulnerable. But use your needs, and past experience, first and foremost, as your guide to what treatment will work best.
Detox, Rehab, Or Both?
Addiction treatment for alcohol or drugs usually starts with a detox, then therapy (rehab), followed by aftercare. But which of these is right for you?
- Do you need detox, or rehab?
You could go for a detox-only programme, but run greater risk of future relapse if other supports are not in place.
Treatment Near Trelales
Thinking of treatment nearby? It's a natural response when feeling low.
Looking farther afield can potentially mean finding a higher standard of care, for less cost.
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.
If you've had detoxes in the past, or complications like liver or other issues, you'll want to be extra careful here.
The clinic team over the phone should be able to give a rough indication of how they'll approach your treatment.
Is Professional Care Needed for Alcohol 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?
- Do you have specialist addiction medics prescribing detox?
- If I have questions about my specific detox needs, who would I speak to?
Step 2 - Behind The Scenes In An Addiction Treatment Clinic
How does admitting to rehab work?
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
Whilst all clinics operate a group environment generally, most should look to help you keep track of your progress, and monitor treatment goals reached.
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.
Together you'll map out key milestones, while accounting for past addictive patterns and behaviours. Don't miss this bit out.
KEY QUESTIONS
- Do you provide a written plan for me to follow, during treatment?
- Do you have a one size fits all approach to treatment, or do you work with each individual's needs?
- What will my care plan include?
- Am I passed from one staff member to another, as shifts change?
What Do I Do In The Clinic, Each Day?
What's the daily routine, inside a rehab, during treatment?
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.
Since residential rehab is a group environment, most clinics provide each client with a daily agenda, every night for the following day. The agenda lets you know what's happening when, and what activities you should participate in.
The time it takes to feel better at the initial stages of treatment is personal to each individual. 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 is normal.
Visiting the clinic before committing to treatment will also help you gauge just what the everyday is like, inside a centre, before committing financially.
KEY QUESTIONS
- What see inside photos do you have, of the clinic, online?
- Do you have sample daily agendas for treatment I can look at?
- Can I arrange a visit to the clinic, to look around, without obligation, before committing?
- When do I get to start taking part in the therapeutic help inside the clinic?
How Does Covid-19 Affect Rehab Centres?
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.
Achieving recovery in a covid-19 world, however, means making some accommodations along the way.
Step 3 - What Budget Is Available For Treatment?
Naturally, funding private rehab treatment in Trelales is a concern for many.
Public services are accountable to the tax payer, and seldom offer more specialist interventions.
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.
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
AA/NA/GA Meetings
Big Book, or 12 step meetings, are available via groups such as AA and NA, across most towns and cities.
Whilst mutual aid plays a big part for many, later in their recovery journey, those at the start will need professional help to detox safely.
Mutual aid meetings have earned their place in everyone's recovery. But the first stage of help - physically detoxing - will need more specialist care.
NHS Addiction Options
Whilst the NHS do have addiction keyworkers in different regions, they’re normally overrun with enquiries and demand on resources, meaning obtaining funding for a rehab stay is unlikely.
Abbeycare provide recovery services in Slough region.
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 - Find Objective Reviews
Assessing a provider's standard of care is important - but can be tricky for the layman.
The industry regulators - the Care Quality Commission in England & Wales, and the Care Inspectorate in Scotland, publish the only independent reporting on standards available, for private rehab clinics.
These regulatory bodies complete inspections to ensure a minimum level of service is met.
Treatment providers are graded against standardised performance measures like environment, care standards, and support provided to clients.
Regulatory Inspections - Keynotes
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
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 - Funding Your Stay
As mentioned above, paying a deposit means the clinic can prepare for your arrival, and allocate your room booking.
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.
Make sure to get an email confirmation of deposit paid, and confirmation of what happens next.
Outstanding Balance
The remaining balance is normally paid for on arrival at the clinic, at the point of admission.
To avoid excess charges later, it's best to settle this on time.
Step 7 - Admission Into Treatment
Make note of the day and time you're due to admit to treatment.
You'll usually be asked to bring certain essentials 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.
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.
At this point, congratulations! Your recovery journey has already begun.
Easy Rehab Q&A Cheatsheet
Thanks for reading our guide.
Unveil Old Colwyn.
Abbeycare have provided this guide free of charge, to help you make the right decision when considering addiction rehab treatment options.
Abbeycare's UK clinics have been helping those in Trelales.
Since 2005, we've been helping thousands to overcome addiction, comfortably, and safely.
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 need transport arranged to get here, we can probably help with that too.
Our clinic inspection reports are available on the relevent service pages: Abbeycare Scotland, Abbeycare Gloucester.
Abbeycare admissions team can advise on options that suit your needs.
Our medical team are ready to help you detox, comfortably.
Our therapeutic team can help you identify the issues behind addiction, and stop the pattern in your life.
The Abbeycare clinic team are ready to help you co-ordinate everything.
Are you ready?
Ready to get started? All calls are confidential. Ring direct on 01603 513 091.
