A HOSPITAL program is sending people home and dispatching nurses to treat them up to three times a day.
Nurse unit manager for Metro South Health’s Hospital in the Home program Alison Stocker said the service provided nursing care equal to hospital standards, but enabled patients to enjoy home comforts.
Mount Cotton resident Patrick Bell was put on the program last month enabling him to go home after a couple of days in hospital for an infection.
Even with a cannula inserted into a vein, he was able to stay at home and be checked on regularly by a nurse.
“I can’t fault the service,” Mr Bell said.
“They (the nurses) are little angels without wings.
“I don’t have to go anywhere, they come to me.”
Mr Bell said he was very sleep deprived during his time in hospital and he enjoyed being treated in his home.
Ms Stocker said patients seemed to feel more comfortable discussing their care with the nurses and were more receptive to education about their condition when relaxed at home with family support.
“We found care in the home reduces patient and family stress, reduces the risk of acquiring further infections during a hospital stay, reduces time away from home, family and pets, and provides a relaxing atmosphere where clients feel more at ease and are more likely to be mobile,” she said.
Nurses can visit home patients up to three times a day and there is a 24-hour phone service for HiTH patients.