Things to Consider When Choosing a Rehabilitation Facility

There are over 14,500 treatment facilities for addicts nationwide. What this means is there are numerous options for anyone looking to get treatment for themselves or a loved one.

As expected, when you have that many facilities offering essentially the same service, still, there will be differences. There will also be substandard options you’ll be better off ignoring.

Choosing the best facility for anyone to undergo rehabilitation primarily depends on their immediate and future needs. Having assessed their needs, it’s important you consider the following factors when making a choice:

Location: Picking the right location for someone to receive help depends on some factors. It’s usually advised that addicts are removed from their usually familiar environment. This is to help them avoid triggers and focus entirely on their recovery. However, you also need to consider if what’s really required is an outpatient treatment. In this case, it’s best that the facility isn’t too far from their locality.
Family visits: Addicts need a lot of support when recovering – most of all, from their family members. Ask if the facility allows family visits and the schedule for it. This will help you plan ahead. Ease of family visits may also affect the location you choose for the center.
Accreditation: Finding out if the rehabilitation center is accredited by the national standards is one of the first steps in making a choice. In the United States, the body responsible for accreditation of rehab facilities is the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organization (JCAHO). They conduct accreditation exercises every three years on all facilities. The accreditation process usually includes the evaluation of all the aspects of health care offered by the facility and lasts a couple of days.
Staff Quality and Quantity: While accreditation can be looked up online, this aspect will have to pass the eye’s test. You should visit the facility to evaluate the staff on ground personally. One thing to look out for is if they have board-certified medical staff trained in rehab care. An on-site physician who’s always around is also mandatory in case of emergencies. Also, look around to see if they appear understaffed. A patient to nurse ratio higher than seven to one is a warning sign to avoid.
Therapy: The quality and type of therapy offered by the facility is also a priority when choosing. Rehabilitation facilities usually offer a therapeutic approach to alcohol and drug addiction problems. Therapy sessions should, on the average, last between one to three hours a day and be spread at different times during the day. Also, note that the duration and type of therapy should vary based on the progress of the patient.

Although there are more conditions to go through depending on what you want, this list offers a good start of boxes to tick before deciding on what rehab facility to use. Make sure that whatever center you settle on is the right fit for your case.