When do Hospitals Refer to Inpatient Treatment Centers?

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, inpatient treatment facilities have a high success rate for the treatment of addictions. It is little wonder that hospitals often refer patients who are addicted to drugs for treatment. There are some very important reasons why this is. Although hospitals have their place in drug detox and addiction treatment, inpatient treatment centers are designed to help those who need a more permanent solution to their drug problem.

Reasons for Hospitalization

Detoxing from certain substances, such as alcohol, may require hospitalization.

Although in most cases inpatient treatment is preferable to hospitalization, there are reasons doctors choose to hospitalize their addiction treatment patients. A few of these reasons are:

• There is a health condition that requires emergency and hospital monitoring.
• Detoxing off certain drugs is extremely dangerous. Medical detox is necessary for conditions like alcohol withdrawal syndrome and benzodiazepine withdrawal. These and other drugs may cause convulsions, delirium, and even death.
• Certain drugs also require 24 hour medical monitoring for mental health concerns. Patients who are suicidal or have had issues with extreme depression in the past might require a higher level of monitoring than even inpatient treatment can provide.
• Patients that are overdosing or who are close to overdose need a hospital type setting to treat the symptoms and issues that arise during an overdose such as convulsions or coma.

Most often after hospitalization, these patients are transferred to an inpatient facility for further care. The hospital does not keep long-term rehab patients because of lack of space and bed availability.

Reasons for Inpatient Treatment Centers

There are reasons to go to inpatient treatment before a hospital as well. Some of these reasons are:

• These facilities have counselors and staff on hand to deal with the psychological aspects of addiction treatment.
• Inpatient facilities are designed for long-term care if needed. The average stay in an inpatient facility is 2 weeks to 3 months while hospitals can only keep patients a short time.
• Many facilities offer additional forms of counseling and training such as life skills, dietary, behavioral, and the ability to help with other issues.
• An inpatient facility can offer aftercare and continued counseling even after you have left the facility.
• These facilities have staff specifically trained to deal with the issues that arise during withdrawal, whereas hospital staff does not have that training.
• The counseling offered at inpatient treatment facilities often includes dealing with triggers that you might find in your home environment as well as how to react around your drug of choice.

Although each facility is slightly different, these are the main treatment advantages of inpatient facilities over hospitals. Hospitals tend to be subject to overcrowding and discharge patients who are addicts before they are completely ready to face the outside world.

If you are ready to find an inpatient treatment facility to end your addiction, or if the hospital needs to refer you to a full service treatment center, call us at 800-430-1407Who Answers?. We can help you find the hospital or inpatient center that is right for you.