Is It Really Possible to Get Hospital Care at Home? Three Things to Know

You may be hearing murmurings from those in your community about individuals getting hospital care in their homes and wondering, “Is that really possible? How could a hospital really take care of me the way I need in my home?”

It’s true! South Shore Health’s Hospital at Home unit, which opened in late June, does just that. 

Over the past five-plus years, I’ve been part of a growing number of providers across the country researching how patients could receive the hospital-level care they need in the comfort of their home. 

I’ve also been part of putting those plans into action by building and operating Hospital at Home units across the country. 

I’m excited to bring that experience to the South Shore Health team as the nurse manager for Hospital at Home and to offer this innovative care model to the community we call home.

Here are three things to know about Hospital at Home:

Who can get care from Hospital at Home?

South Shore Health Hospital at Home provides patients with certain medical conditions the opportunity to receive hospital-level care in the comfort of their home.

Conditions that may be eligible for Hospital at Home care include skin infections, pneumonias, urinary tract infections, and other conditions commonly treated on our hospital medicine floors.

Patients are admitted to the Hospital at Home unit the same way they’d be admitted to an inpatient floor at South Shore Hospital.  

For most patients, this process begins with a visit to the Emergency Department, where each patient is assessed.

If the Emergency Department care team determines that hospital admission is required, a multidisciplinary team will then work to determine if the patient is eligible for admission to the Hospital at Home unit. 

Keep in mind, not everyone has a care plan that could work outside of the hospital walls.

For example, if your condition or illness requires intensive care or surgery, remaining at South Shore Hospital would be best for you.

However, patients who have a condition like the ones listed above and have a safe place to call home may be eligible to experience care on the Hospital at Home unit, pending review by patients, their loved ones or caregivers at home, and their South Shore Health care team.

What will it be like to be a Hospital at Home patient?

Once you and your care team have agreed to transfer the care you need to the comfort of your home, we will transport you home in an ambulance to help maintain your safety.

One of our specially trained paramedics will meet you at home to welcome you to the Hospital at Home unit. 

Upon transfer to our unit, it’s necessary to stay connected to our team.

We will set you up with Internet, a tablet, and other devices to help with your care. Our team will also bring any additional equipment or medications you may need to your house.

Some things will feel similar to a regular hospital stay: you’ll have a hospital bracelet, you’ll have to take your medications with the team when needed, and we may need to do blood work or get an x-ray.

Other parts of your experience will be different: paramedics or nurses will see you at home at least twice a day to conduct assessments and perform any necessary procedures, like listening to your heart or lungs or administering intravenous medications. 

In addition, your nurse will connect with you multiple times a day via a video call, including every time you need a medication and to do their assessments, partnering with the teammate in the home. 

Your provider will see you every day as well. You’ll have a schedule for these visits, which will occur via video, ensuring you’re making progress on your plan of care.

These scheduled video check-ins allow for your loved ones to be a part of your care even if they aren’t home at the time of the visit

Although some things will be different, you will be receiving care as you would during an inpatient stay at South Shore Hospital. 

How does getting hospital-level care in my home benefit me?

Throughout the experience described above, the Hospital at Home unit is focusing on treating you in the environment that you call home. 

You’ll get to sleep in your own bed, be around the people and pets who are important to you, and have a tailored care plan to allow you to heal. 

You won’t have any equally sick roommates, call bells going off down the hall, or beds you can’t get comfortable in when you’re on the Hospital at Home unit. 

Your care team isn’t just teaching you what to do when you get home – we’re teaching you what you need to do when you ARE home.

The Hospital at Home unit allows us to provide care as guests in your home and to partner with you to improve your health in more holistic ways. 

I’ve been a nurse for nearly 20 years and have always felt it is important to care for others in the place they call home.

For me, the care I can provide is even better when I know more about who you are and how I can help you be healthier.

South Shore Health has committed to this idea through Hospital at Home and we’re proud to offer this level of care to our community.

Sarah Paez, MS, GNP-BC is Nurse Manager for Hospital at Home.

Learn more about Hospital at Home.