Understanding the differences between inpatient vs. outpatient treatment

When searching for a treatment program for yourself or a loved one, it’s vital to examine the benefits of inpatient vs. outpatient treatment. Kolmac pioneered intensive outpatient treatment (IOP), which allows patients to stay at home and continue working while going through the three phases of treatment. IOP offers several benefits that aren’t available with inpatient care.

Comparing inpatient vs. outpatient treatment

There are several distinctions between inpatient vs. outpatient treatment at Kolmac.

Inpatient Treatment Patients must leave home and work to live at the facility for a month or longer.  Many inpatient facilities treat addiction as an acute problem. They deal with the immediate problem, but do not continue to treat patients afterward. During inpatient treatment, patients are not in their typical environment, so they are not able to immediately apply the coping skills they learn in their home environment. Residential treatment is expensive, often costing $25,000 or more per month.

Intensive Outpatient (IOP) Treatment Patients continue to live at home and work during all three phases of treatment at Kolmac. Kolmac treats addiction as a chronic disease that requires follow-up and relapse prevention. At Kolmac, our patients continue to deal with their everyday life while learning how to cope with stressful situations. Patients can learn and practice as they go, rather than learn and practice in an inpatient environment. Kolmac’s IOP is much more affordable and we work with most insurance companies that provide coverage for outpatient treatment. In fact, most of our patients pay only a small fraction of the treatment cost. Many pay nothing at all.

Our intensive outpatient treatment program is as successful as inpatient treatment

Patients or their loved ones who have concerns about the success rate of inpatient vs. outpatient treatment can rest assured that our measurement-based program is as successful as inpatient programs. In fact, many patients and their families benefit more from Kolmac’s intensive outpatient treatment than from inpatient treatment in a facility away from home.

Most patients prefer to continue working during treatment because it is better for them financially. Working also means patients continue to have an income and insurance coverage that helps them pay for treatment.

Outpatient treatment allows patients to stay with their loved ones as they recover

Family matters influence patients’ decisions about treatment. It’s difficult to leave loved ones behind for a month or longer. At Kolmac, patients live at home and take advantage of our convenient daytime and evening hours. Family members are an essential part of our program, and we encourage them to be involved in their loved one’s treatment and seek support themselves.

When patients and their loved ones consider inpatient vs. outpatient treatment, we encourage them to look at our intensive outpatient program. Contact us for more information.