What Inpatient Alcohol Care Looks Like
Inpatient alcohol rehab keeps people overnight who need it. They may have co-occurring disorders, withdrawal complications, or other reasons they can't detox at home. The typical program provides daily support and counseling to help them stop drinking.
They usually get a room and join group meetings, activities, and educational classes during the day. They may see a doctor regularly for physical issues like malnutrition or medication monitoring.
The common thread is intensive treatment that includes detox, counseling, therapy, education, and other services. They may be inpatient programs or residential facilities.
The length of time for inpatient care depends on how well you are progressing. Your progress is monitored by clinicians so they can make changes as needed. If you're not moving forward, the staff may work with you to find new strategies or get more intensive support. For example, some people need medication-assisted treatment (MAT) or dual diagnosis support for a mental health problem that makes it difficult to stay in recovery.
Treatment in an intensive program includes one-to-one counseling sessions and group therapy sessions to address psychological dependence on alcohol.
The staff at the facility will also provide patients with information on how they can support their sobriety after they leave treatment. Staff members may also encourage patients to attend 12-step meetings or other forms of peer support.
Clues That Point Toward an Inpatient Stay
Someone may need an inpatient alcohol stay if their:
- drinking has resulted in physical or psychological complications
- medical care is needed for physical health problems related to alcohol use
- withdrawal symptoms are severe enough to warrant medically-managed detox
- they suffer from co-occurring mental health conditions (i.e. bipolar disorder, PTSD)
- their living environment may be unstable, putting them at risk of relapse
Someone may need an inpatient alcohol stay because he or she has severe withdrawal symptoms when drinking stops. This can be especially true if there is a history of delirium tremens (DTs). Delirium tremens is a condition marked by hallucinations, fever, disorientation, and irregular heart rate.
The individual is at risk for experiencing these symptoms even after the last drink.
If the individual has tried outpatient treatment and has not been successful in quitting drinking or cannot stay sober, then an inpatient stay may be needed to help with relapse prevention.
Inpatient alcohol stays also provide more support to help individuals with long-term recovery maintenance. This can include things like attending AA meetings, learning how to avoid triggers that could lead to relapse, and developing coping mechanisms for dealing with stressors in life.
Clues that point toward an inpatient stay include: a long history of alcohol abuse; physical dependence on alcohol; co-existing psychiatric diagnoses such as depression or anxiety; inability to stop drinking alone; and a poor support system. Individuals with these characteristics may require a more structured treatment program such as inpatient care, to achieve sobriety.
Hospital Units Versus Residential Campuses
Hospital units and residential campuses differ in that the former are located within a hospital and the latter are separate from any medical center. Inpatient hospital units offer patients immediate access to a full range of emergency services, including diagnostic and laboratory testing. Residential campuses also provide safe environments for severely addicted persons but do not have the medical facilities and personnel of hospital units.
Residential programs are intensive rehab in a 24-hour treatment setting, and outpatient programs are not. Residential treatment programs offer clients an immersive experience with continuous support to help them recover from addiction. Outpatient programs can be beneficial for people who don't need as much supervision during recovery.
The term inpatient refers to a service that is given while you are in the hospital, whereas residential refers to a non-hospital setting. A residential facility could also refer to an inpatient program offered by a rehab center or addiction treatment facility.
Hospital inpatient units emphasize medical support, counseling, and group therapy sessions while patients are supervised by doctors and nurses around the clock. The primary goal is to stabilize a patient before they leave for further treatment, such as a residential facility or sober living environment.
Residential campuses offer intensive care in group settings with peer support and guidance from experienced therapists.
A Day Inside an Inpatient Program
A day inside an inpatient program often involves a strict schedule with set times for eating meals, group therapy sessions, exercise, and rest. The goal is to provide structure and support so people can focus on their recovery without distractions or temptations.
The day usually starts with breakfast at a set time followed by morning group therapy. This is a chance to discuss personal struggles, successes, and goals with others in the program. After that, there may be classes, workshops, or lectures related to addiction recovery, such as how to recognize triggers or manage cravings.
Lunch typically comes next before another group session or individual counseling sessions for anyone who needs it. The afternoon might also include physical activity like walking, yoga, or other exercises tailored toward promoting health and wellness.
There will likely be a rest period during the day when clients can take naps or engage in quiet activities such as reading or meditation. Dinner is generally served around early evening followed by more group therapy sessions that focus on relapse prevention skills, coping strategies, and self-care techniques before bedtime at a set time.
Inpatient programs also often include aftercare planning to help individuals transition back into their everyday lives with ongoing support from counselors and therapists after completing the program.
How Long an Inpatient Episode Runs
Length of an inpatient alcohol stay is not fixed. Many factors go into determining how long a patient will be in treatment.
Length of an inpatient alcohol episode is determined by a number of factors:
- The person's insurance coverage
- Length of previous treatment episodes
- Severity of problems caused by substance abuse
- Other physical or mental health problems that need to be treated
- Social supports (e.g., spouse, other family members, employer) that can support the individual through the recovery process
- The presence of co-occurring disorders
The team will look at the patient's treatment plan and decide whether they need to stay longer or can move on to a less intensive level of care. This decision depends greatly on the patient's needs and their response to treatment.
In some programs, patients are required to spend more time in rehab because they have co-occurring disorders or severe addictions.
How long an inpatient episode runs depends on how severe and complicated a person's situation is. For some people who need detox and withdrawal management at the beginning of their treatment, the initial residential stay can be longer.
Paying for Inpatient Alcohol Care in Georgia
Georgia Families and parity rules shape how individuals pay for inpatient alcohol care.
Georgia Families offers members a choice of three private health plans.
In Georgia, Georgia Families members choose among three healthcare plans Amerigroup, CareSource and Peach State Health Plan.
Stepping Down After Discharge
After hospital or residential treatment, you may continue in intensive outpatient treatment (IOP) or partial hospitalization (PHP). IOP and PHP services allow patients to live at home but require more hours of participation and support than regular outpatient treatment.
Stepping down after discharge can mean moving from inpatient to outpatient care, as is common in residential and hospital-based programs, or it can mean transitioning back to regular activities. Stepping down refers to reducing the intensity of services a person receives during treatment. The goal is to move someone from more intense treatment into less intensive treatment (or no treatment) as he or she makes progress toward recovery. A person may step down by transitioning out of a formal treatment program, such as residential care, and back to regular living.
In general outpatient treatment involves counseling, either individual or in groups. Other components may include medication for addiction or other mental health problems, family involvement, and referral to community services for help with employment, education, and/or health care.
After leaving an inpatient program, it's important to have a plan for continuing care after discharge. This may include attending a day program for some time, then stepping down to an outpatient counseling program. In this way, people can move slowly from the very structured treatment of inpatient rehab into living at home.
After an inpatient discharge, continuing care is a step-down level of treatment that provides a variety of services and supports to help maintain recovery following intensive residential treatment. The purpose of aftercare is to prevent relapse, support people in their return to the community, and encourage them to continue making positive life changes.
The specific types of support offered will depend on your needs and situation, but they usually include:
- Intensive outpatient programs (IOPs)
- Self-help groups
- 12-step fellowships
- Therapists who provide individual or group counseling
- Other professionals such as vocational trainers and social workers
- Educational opportunities
Aftercare plans may also include a relapse prevention plan, which is important for people with alcohol use disorder.
Continuing care is generally offered by the treatment center itself or by an affiliated outpatient program.
Some patients may require more support than others to maintain their recovery.
After inpatient discharge, recovery residences are a useful and important step down in care. These sober living environments offer people who have completed an initial period of residential treatment or other intensive substance use disorder treatment the opportunity to transition back to mainstream life. They provide the support and accountability that can help sustain the person's progress toward sobriety, as well as prepare for their return to regular housing.
These residences are not licensed in Georgia.