what is a guest

What is a Guest?

• a: a person who is invited to visit or take part in an event
• b: a person to whom hospitality is extended by a host

At Royal Life Centers, we are the hosts, extending an open invitation to the individuals who reach out to us for help. As such, we regard the individuals who stay with us to receive our services as our guests.

Although most treatment providers refer to the individuals in their care as “clients” or “patients”, we see you as a guest from the moment you walk through our doors. We then take on the responsibility of helping you throughout your stay, making sure your accommodations are up to par, and being an honest and open guide to you during your recovery journey. You are a guest, and it is a privilege to host you. You are not only welcomed into Royal Life Centers, you become an integral player in the changes to come during your stay. As our guests, we want you to feel comfortable, cared for, and consistent.

Why the Term “Guest” is Important

It is imperative as Royal Life Centers staff that we treat all of our guests equally with the same respectful behavior and stigma-reducing actions to promote open communication and mutual respect during their time in our care:

• Royal staff is introduced in a calm and collected manner throughout a guest’s initial entrance to our program. This is to prevent any unnecessary feelings of anxiety or unease during their admission into the treatment program.
• All guests complete their initial assessment upon entry to our program, completing a biopsychosocial evaluation. Guests collaborate with their therapist and case manager to create an individualized service plan (ISP). The ISP is customized to the guest’s needs and wants, ensuring each guest receives top-quality care that will best serve their recovery.
• We ensure that each guest understands that each and every question is welcome and that we will provide the answers to ease their minds. If our guests have any questions or concerns they can come to any staff member directly without any apprehension.
• Royal Life Centers staff will address each guest by their first name, or the name they prefer to be called, to maintain a level of comfortability and cultivate trust.
• As the guests who enter our care are often nervous in the new environment, we take care to show them around the facility. Staff members give each guest a tour of the grounds that they will call home for the length of treatment with us.
• Our staff facilitates activities for entertainment and education, accommodating each guest to ensure that they feel welcome and supported.
• Keep the facility clean and suitable at all times.
• We initiate conversations, pose thought-provoking questions, and cultivate healthy interactions between each of our guests to assist them as they find a common bond amongst their peers.
• As cleanliness is a necessity within all of our facilities, our staff constantly sterilizes all surfaces and equipment to establish a safe and hygienic place for healing.
• Our staff conducts 24/7 monitoring of our guests, providing company, comfort, and reassurance throughout the treatment process. All staff members save paperwork and additional potential distractions after each shift change to secure the constant surveillance over our guests for their safety.

With all of this being said, it is also important to note that the guests at Royal Life Centers are seen as equals. Royal Life Centers staff treat our guests with the utmost respect and consideration. We work to guarantee that each guest feels secure and always position ourselves in a way that allows us to immediately be at their service if needed. One of the ways our staff members at Royal Life Centers integrate a sense of compassion and sympathy within our programs is by using guest-centric language.

What Is ‘Guest-Centric’ Language?

We understand the importance of words— the things we say have the power to impact the way that others feel. We choose our words carefully because words can be powerful, and we prefer to speak in a language that shows positivity and intention. While words can heal and generate growth, they can also hurt and reduce someone’s motivation. Our staff acknowledges that the guest-centric treatment of our guests extends beyond the programs and services and into the way that we address and speak to our guests.

In fact, a lot of people want to be supportive and understanding of their loved one’s situations. Unfortunately, the stigma surrounding substance use disorders is integrated into western society, so most of us have never observed a positive example illustrating respectful, and non-judgmental language that benefits those in the process of healing or finding help.

Guest-centric language, also known as person-first language (PFL), places the person before the disability, effectively describing what the person has, not what the person is. Royal Life Centers staff members use person-first language to emphasize each guest’s individuality, equality, and dignity.

How can Person-First Language Help?

When talking about someone who has a substance use disorder, person-first phrases provide consistent, objective terminology to avoid simplifications or labels. Instead of the typical blame language surrounding addiction, “they’re an addict,” PFL reframes the statement as “person with a substance use disorder.”

For this reason, person-first language takes the accusatory vernacular often associated with addiction that identifies a person solely on their disability or illness.

The phrase “addict” is hurtful, outdated, and approaches the subject with a holier-than-thou attitude. Granted, most people who use these passé terms simply lack the sensitivity education that assists in communication, as it is neglected in most media and schooling systems. In fact, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) released a thought-provoking study in 1999 detailing the harmful consequences of the term “patients” in addiction treatment settings.

Since our inception, Royal Life Centers has always vowed to treat our guests as individuals. We have never used the term patient, nor do we support any language that can be used in a demeaning manner. As a major treatment network, we see our responsibility in helping to rewrite the standards and common knowledge surrounding addiction, making addiction education more prominent and information better access to those who need it. We see the first way to start is how we talk about addiction. The nonprofit organization Shatterproof has dedicated its resources to reversing the Addiction Crisis in the U.S. Shatterproof believes that the revolutionization of addiction prevention, treatment, recovery, and advocacy can be made possible through the restructuring of “the country’s consciousness” with a focus on ending the stigma surrounding substance use disorders.

Deleting terms such as “addict,” “alcoholic,” “junkie,” and “druggie” and replacing them with person-first language such as “a person with a SUD” can decrease the inherent judgment, blame, and disgust many American’s associates with addiction. The past and current environment surrounding substance use disorders have trained the general public— and some clinicians— to respond to addiction with punishment over treatment.

Whether we like it or not, words shape how we view people and by extension how we treat them. In order to help people with substance use disorders, we must change the way we speak about them and to them. This is why guest-centric language and treating our guests with respect is one of the most important values to all of us at Royal Life Centers.

If you or a loved one might have a substance use disorder, please give us a call to see how we can help. We treat a range of substance abuse issues safely and effectively. Our team is available 24/7 at (877)-732-6837 or here to address your concerns and answer any questions you may have.