Health professionals on the North Shore are taking a detailed look at who shows up in hospital with medical conditions related to substance abuse, in the hopes of creating an easy-to-access detox program for the North Shore and coastal area.
Recently, Vancouver Coastal Health launched a home detox program in the Vancouver area, aimed at helping addicts in their own homes, rather than a designated treatment centre.
According to those involved in the new program, research shows people are more likely to have successful treatment with detox if they can go through the process in their own home with supports in place. Those who work with drug addicts and alcoholics on the North Shore are now gathering data with the hopes of possibly setting up a similar program here.
“We’re looking at our hospital data right now,” said Elizabeth Stanger, operations director for mental health and addiction services in the coastal area, which includes North Vancouver, Squamish, Whistler and the Sunshine Coast. Stanger said the team is digging into patient records to find out more details, like what percentage of those patients are seniors, youth, women or homeless. They’ll also track who came to hospital in an ambulance, with police or under their own steam and whether they tended to come in once or often.
Once they have the information, it will be easier to design a program that will fit patient needs, said Stanger.
Home detox is a program that can work for many people, she said – particularly those who hold down a job, are caring for children or are simply afraid of the stigma that comes from checking into a rehab facility.
What kind of home environment the patient is in is a key question, she said, including whether others in the home are likely to offer support.
Residential treatment in special rehabilitation centres is costly and frequently involves long wait lists. “We know there are limited beds,” she said.
Detoxing at home can allow patients to carry on with their regular lives, provided they have proper supports in place. “Not everyone needs to be pulled out of their life.”
For the health-care system, it also presents a cheaper option.
Stanger said on the North Shore, alcohol is still the biggest issue people struggle with, by a large margin. Other drugs like opiates are also gaining attention.
Stanger said the health- care team working on the program hopes to compile the information this fall and get going with a program next spring.
