Ixande Sober Living

Ixande Sober Living Review

Cape Town, South Africa’s Ixande is a full service addiction and co-occurring treatment facility. The primary program options include a medical detox and extended care inpatient treatment. In addition to inpatient services, Ixande now offers a sober living that helps clients transition smoothly back into their communities. While in this phase of treatment, Ixande’s clients attend 12-step meetings and begin to independently re-acclimate into their lives while still receiving a high level of support.

Accommodations and Amenities

Ixande sober living clients live in a two story, 12 bed house in a quiet area of the beach town Muizenberg. The facility is walking distance to several shops, stores, and the train station. The ocean is about a 10 minute walk, door to door.

The house has private and semi-private bedrooms, all of which offer en suite bathrooms. The bedrooms are fully furnished with comfortable and modern furniture that includes full beds, dressers, small desks in some rooms, and ample closet space. Ixande assigns each person a personal locker upon arrival to store their valuables.

Common areas throughout the homes include the lounge, which has a flat screen TV with cable and Wifi capabilities, and couches. The kitchen, dining room and braai facilities (usually an outdoor grill space) are available to all residents. These areas of the house are always in use, as clients prepare their meals and eat together every day.

The facility is under 24 hour video surveillance, and in the instance of any sort of concern, there is an armed guard on duty at all times who comes to the house. The garage is also locked up to safeguard clients cars.

There is a weekly linen service, as well as a housekeeper who cleans once a week.

Rules and Regulations

Clients who move into the house sign a lease agreement that is based on their ability and promise to stay clean and sober the entire time. There is a house manager on-site 24 hours a day who offers support and guidance to all clients. The manager serves as a resource to help clients learn their way around the neighborhood and find out where the local AA and NA meetings are within the community.

The residents must attend several support meetings during the week. Initially, they have to get their attendance signed off on to prove that they were there. It is also a requirement that clients get a sponsor and are completely accountable for their whereabouts, especially in the early days of living at the house.

Clients go to three-hour long group sessions at the main Ixande facility on Tuesdays and Thursdays. These meetings focus on relapse prevention, stress management and transitioning back into the workforce and personal lives and managing triggers.

Finally, clients have a minimum required stay of two months, which is considered the short term lease. However, they typically stay for quite a bit longer.

Extras

During days and times when local AA or NA meetings are not within walking distance, Ixande provides the transportation.

In Summary

Ixande’s sober living community encourages camaraderie amongst the residents as the new and healthy behaviors they picked up in residential treatment start to set in permanently. The house and surroundings are beautiful and safe, which allows for clients to let their guard down and feel comfortable as they begin their independent journey as a sober person. Above all, the sober living program at Ixande is a great way to really solidify newfound sobriety and put their new lives into healthy and effective action.