Can I See the Rehab Center and Take a Tour Before I’m Admitted?

When you have narrowed your list of potential rehab centers down to just a few options, you may feel like you need more hands-on interaction with the program in order to fully understand how things function and look. You may believe that watching rehab in action will give you the best understanding because you learn best when you interact with your subject matter. It is easier to focus.

One way to get more intimately involved in the process is to take a tour of the facility before committing to admission to the rehab program. This won’t always be an option for a few reasons. However, there are centers who have devised a way to give you access to the treatment center without taking away from the treatment of other patients. The following discussion should cover some touring option and help you to understand why tours may be limited or not provided at all. It also covers why a tour might be a positive experience for you.

If you are still narrowing down the centers you are interested in, you may benefit from reading our article “How Do I Decide Which Rehab Center is Right for Me?” For help setting up a tour, call 800-430-1407Who Answers?. We are specialists in this area and we can walk you through the process.

How Will a Tour Help?

Making sure you’re comfortable at a facility is imperative to your recovery.

Obviously, the primary benefit of a tour is that it will allow you to see the facility with your own eyes. You won’t be wooed by well-crafted marketing or sales talks. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) notes partaking in rehab for less than 90 days reduces its effectiveness. In addition, the insist that rehab that lasts considerably longer is suggested for better outcomes. 90 days. That’s a long time to live somewhere that you have never even seen.

Retention is a big issue in the addiction treatment community. How do programs ensure that patients continue participating for the full course of treatment? Most programs attempt to make patients comfortable, keep them motivated, and provide utility. A tour will allow you to best gauge whether or not you will be comfortable. And the more at-home you can feel, the longer you are likely to stay.

At a basic level, if you are down to a just a few options and you simply can’t decide between the two, a tour may give you the information that you need to finally make a decision. Some of the differences between the two may simply be things you need to feel instead of read or hear about.

Your tour should also allow you to see more of the staff that will be helping to treat you. Again, you will want to evaluate whether or not these people will be able to help you remain comfortable and motivated.

Why Might Tours Not Be Offered?

You have to keep in mind that many rehab centers do not provide tours because doing so would compromise the privacy of their patients and contribute to a seemingly unsafe environment. Were you to choose one of these centers, you would be glad to receive the same level of confidentiality and safety.

According to NIDA, health care providers, like those overseeing addiction treatment, cannot disclose your personal information. It is against the law. Specifically, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) bars it.

How to Evaluate an Inpatient Treatment Center

If Privacy Is an Issue, How Can Tours Be Given?

In many cases, the tours will only include areas that are not being used by patients. You may be shown a dining area when meals are not in session or a dormitory that is vacant. Centers who give these limited tours may have a few patients who choose to participate in the tour and provide insight. These patients will have agreed to publicly acknowledge participation in rehab.

Another possible tour method that is gaining popularity is virtual touring. From the comfort of your own home, you can watch a tour guide lead you through the facility. It will give you insight into patients (who will have signed a waiver of privacy) and the surroundings. Certainly, it provides more insight for you that you would otherwise have.

To learn more about what to look for on your tour, call 800-430-1407Who Answers?. We can help you locate rehab centers that give tours and connect you with them. Call now.