Is Alcohol Home Detox Safe?

Is Alcohol Home Detox Safe?

Is Alcohol Home Detox Safe? A medically supervised Alcohol Home Detox can be safe especially when supervised onsite in the home by a qualified registered nurse. A medically supervised alcohol home detox with an on-site expert nurse increases the chances of a safe detox.

Executive Home Detox is the oldest and most experienced private duty nurse model in the continental United States. EHD has assisted in thousands of outpatient alcohol detoxes since it’s inception in 2007. 

An alcohol detox occurs when a person is physically dependent on alcohol. Because of this dependence,  the alcohol detox is a medical procedure that ranges from a mild withdrawal to a severe life-threatening alcohol withdrawal.

EHD focuses on Safety and Privacy, therefore, a safe and private alcohol detox allows the client to decrease their stress and address lifestyle changes that may be needed to sustain sobriety.

EHD’s Focus on Safety:

An expert nurse is on-site with the client from the beginning to the end of the alcohol detox, thus the nurse is able to assess the physical condition of the client on an ongoing basis. An inpatient setting may assess the client every two to four hours, whereas an EHD nurse assesses the client continuously.

The EHD nurse is expert in assessing the client by observation and by using measurement tools. These measurement tools include; the Blood Pressure, Pulse, Respirations, Temperature, and Oxygen level.  The measurement tools also include assessing the CIWA scale on this website  ( or Download PDF of CIWA Scale ) and the COWS scale. The EHD nurse manages the prescribed medication and continuously assesses the effectiveness of the medication.

Our nurses are able to identify symptoms that indicate the potential for a serious life threatening situation, Delirium Tremens. The nurse will recommend a hospital level of care at the onset of Delirium Tremens.   

EHD’s Focus on a Private Detox:

EHD assigns one nurse to provide Private-Duty Nursing throughout the medical detox. One nurse assigned to the client enhances privacy as he or she is the only nurse is involved in the care of the client.

Is Alcohol Home Detox Safe? A one to one expert nurse providing private duty care increases the likelihood that an Alcohol Home Detox is safe and effective, and also increases the likelihood appropriate care is given if the client experiences a seizure or delirium tremens. Adverse effects including seizures and delirium tremens (DT’s) are rare, but do occur. 

Considerations to determine if an alcohol home detox is safe include: 

• Does the client have a history of seizures or delirium tremens? If so, can a home based plan of care address this past history? 
• Is the client ambulatory? Are they able to attend to their activities of daily living or do they need assistance? 
• Does the client have liver or kidney disease? If so, an assessment can determine if a home based detox is an option.  

For further reading: Here is an article comparing alcohol home detox to a hospital based outpatient alcohol detox. This further suggests alcohol home detox can be safe. Home Detox vs. Hospital Based OP Detox

EHD is a high-end private pay private treatment model.