New to addiction treatment? Clinic programmes and options for private addiction help can be confusing. Many aren't aware of the right questions to ask, and how to compare more than one centre.
If you're considering rehab treatment in Ystrad Mynach, first check our guide below - this is the UK’s no 1 guide on how to find the right rehab centre for you.
Step 1 - Understand What You Need
Having newly made the life changing decision to get help can feel rejuvenating....as well as more than a little vulnerable. But spending just a little time getting clear on what you truly need, can save a costly mistake.
Could a hospital compel a person to enter a rehab programme?
Detox .v. Rehab
Some providers can try to sell Rehab, and even Aftercare, upfront, before you've even started treatment, but do you really need all these?
- Unsure if you need detox, rehab, aftercare, or all 3? (Be honest).
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?
Amongst the concerns we hear each day, the location of the clinic is one of the most common. But sometimes, you can be too close to home.
Looking farther afield can potentially mean finding a higher standard of care, for less cost.
Detox beds can be found in hospitals, and virtually any clinic. But does their long term support match your needs in the longer term? Asking a few basics like these upfront can save a lot of headache later.
See all the locations Abbeycare serve, here.
Detox Requirements
Making sure you're getting the right support, can have a serious impact on long term results.
This can be especially important where you have complex drug or alcohol detox needs.
While an admissions team or sales team can give an indication of likely detox methods, this is of course finalised and decided upon by the supervising medical professionals present.
Ask around to find a clinic with professionals who have experience in detoxing your substance type specifically, e.g. a high dose methadone detox is complex, and should be undertaken only by professionals with substantial experience.
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 - The Day To Day Inside A Clinic
What is day to day addiction treatment inside the clinic actually like?
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.
Mapping Out Needs And Treatment Goals
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.
Whilst not the most exciting part of the journey, this is a necessary means to help you monitor progress toward your long term vision. Make sure to take an active part in this stage.
KEY QUESTIONS
- To what extent is my care and management planned and mapped out?
- How do clinic staff know they're doing a good job at helping clients achieve recovery?
- Is care planning done for me, or is it collaborative?
- Is there continuity whilst in treatment, of who I deal with, each day?
What Actually Happens Inside A Clinic?
What actually happens in a clinic, every day?
Asking some key questions before admitting to a clinic can help you get a sense for what life is like in treatment, before committing.
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. Detox could last just a few days. Others may take much longer than this to progress. Clinic staff understand this.
Also, make sure to ask to arrange a visit to look around the clinic, first.
KEY QUESTIONS
- How can I see what's inside the clinic, online?
- Do you have sample daily agendas for treatment I can look at?
- 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?
How Does Covid-19 Affect Rehab Centres?
Few people successfully make it into long term recovery without the help of the bigger group around them.
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.
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 Ystrad Mynach is a concern for many.
The ability of third sector or voluntary organisations to deal with more complex detox needs is usually slim - it's worth looking into this though.
Automatically choosing the lowest price provider can lead to poor care levels inside the clinic, detrimental to your recovery progress.
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.
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.
Other Ways To Get Help
Local Mutual Aid Meetings
Most locations hold local Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings which can assist in the mutual aid and social elements of recovery.
If you're just starting out in recovery though, detoxing comfortably first, will undoubtedly be the priority.
Thousands benefit from local community groups every week. But the first stage of help - physically detoxing - will need more specialist care.
Community Healthcare Options
Requesting a referral to your local CAT (Community Addictions Team) from your GP normally means being assigned to a local keyworker who will help you keep track of intake, effects it has, etc, but obtaining short-term rehab help via public healthcare, is unlikely.
Usually, only the more complex cases with a long history of addiction are considered for placement into specialist detox units.
Families and friends often agree to jointly finance private treatment, in cases where no publicly funded options are available.
Step 4 - Get Independent Reviews
While many providers will claim to show many positive reviews, their legitimacy is not always clear.
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.
Clinics are graded across multiple areas of care, including support standards, management, and clinical 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 - Decide On A Provider
It's now time to decide on one of the clinics you've looked at.
It's not uncommon at this point, for the provider to take you a through a number of pre-admission questions, as they have to ensure your suitable for the clinic and its environment.
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.
If you’re paying via an insurance policy, this is the time that will get sorted out also.
Step 6 - Financing 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.
The days of clinics offering finance facilities directly, are mostly gone, although a few do still offer in-house plans to pay for treatment.
You should expect some kind of booking confirmation from the provider, usually by email, after any deposit or balance payment is made.
Remaining Balance
The remaining balance is normally paid for on arrival at the clinic, at the point of admission.
Interest on late payment for a significant sum like this can be significant, so it's worth getting this done on time.
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.
Most clinics will expect you to pack these basics:
Rules re mobile phone and device usage varies from clinic to clinic - it's worth checking before you set off - how many devices are allowed, and what the internet usage policy is. Many clinics have a restricted use policy, to keep clients on track.
It's also worth ensuring travel arrangement ahead of schedule - as some providers with have surcharges for late arrival.
Now, enjoy your recovery!
Asking The Right Questions
Thanks for reading our guide.
Thanks so much for reading our buyer's guide.
Abbeycare's UK clinics are available to those in Ystrad Mynach.
We've helped thousands overcome their addiction to alcohol or drugs.
In these last 15 years, our experience has gone from strength to strength.
Not nearby? No problem, we can arrange transport too, in many cases.
Our inspection reports from the regulators, are available on our clinic pages, here: Abbeycare Scotland, Abbeycare Gloucester.
Our admissions team are ready to help.
Our medical team can assist you to detox, safely, and 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.
Are you ready for recovery?
To ask a question, or to arrange admission, ring our team now on 01603 513 091.
