How to Find a Rehab Center

Treatment centers exist to help people recover from acute medical conditions, and drug or alcohol abuse. The hospital or clinical professionals can recommend treatment centers for patients or the family of the patient can research the rehabilitation centers independently. Important considerations are distance from friends and family, types of insurance, the staffing ratio, quality of the food, cleanliness and licensing. Finding a rehabilitation center that promotes good health and has a nurturing ambiance usually contributes to faster recovery, shortening the duration of the patient's stay.

Instructions

Medical Considerations

• 1

  Ask the case manager at the hospital for a list of recommendations for rehabilitation centers. Sometimes the case managers assign the patient to a rehabilitation center without consulting the family, a practice that can land a patient in a center far from friends or family. If the case manager's schedule is too busy, ask someone at the nursing station if the hospital has a list of rehabilitation centers.

• 2

  Call the rehabilitation centers or care homes for an appointment with the admitting department. The staff conducts tours for prospective families or caretakers. Ask about the types of insurance the center accepts, what the base daily rate is and the billing policies.

  While touring the facility, ask to see a menu to determine the types of food the center serves. Check out the individual rooms and ask to see the physical therapy department, often the sole purpose of going to a rehabilitation center. Find out about the social schedule and the activities programs. Ask for a brochure to share with others who are participating in the decision-making process.

• 3

  Read reviews of the prospective care centers online. Directories, such as Nursing Homes Ratings, provide portals to find evaluations of nursing homes and rehabilitation centers across the U.S. The directory is organized by state and county. A link to the website is listed in the Resource section at the end of this article.

Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Centers

• 4

  Ask the treating physician for recommendations. Psychiatric rehabilitation centers are not as common as nursing homes and treatment variations are more diverse. If the person in need of help does not have a medical provider, ask local organizations, such as places of worship, intervention services, local social service providers or Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) chapters, for recommendations. Community shelters and food banks also might provide information about rehabilitation for patients who need help with financial resources.

• 5

  Call the facility to find out the requirements for admitting and ask about the accepted insurance policies. Ask if the facility has a sliding scale based on income and resources. If possible, visit the websites of the facilities you are considering. Ask the representatives what kinds of therapy the institution provides and whether it is secular or faith-based.

• 6

  Ask the treatment center's administrative staff for recommendations of other facilities if their program is booked. Referrals to other centers save time and reduce the need to gather exhaustive information about the treatment centers