Better at Home
Patient information
What we do
We are a service that aims to reduce time spent in hospital or avoid a hospital admission altogether by providing multidisciplinary hospital care in your own home.
Our program will work with the individual to achieve their goals and transition onto the appropriate community services.
We offer assessment and treatment from:
- Doctors
- Nurses
- Pharmacists
- Dietitians
- Occupational Therapists
- Physiotherapists
- Social Workers
- Speech Pathologists
- Allied Health Assistants
- Clinical Psychologists
- Neuropsychologists
- Wound Nurse Specialists
- Podiatrists.
Who we care for
We care for patients who live in the Better at Home catchment area.
What to expect
As a Better at Home patient, you can expect daily visits from one or more health professionals between 8.00am and 8.00pm Monday to Sunday.
This may include allied health input Monday to Friday (if needed), daily nursing visits including weekends and a weekly review by the doctor and as needed.
Different members of our team will visit you, depending on what you need. You may be on the program for a few weeks, and your progress and ongoing care plan will be discussed with you and your family throughout your care.
Commonly asked questions
Most patients stay on the program for approximately 2 weeks but this can be more or less depending on your requirements as assessed by the Better at Home clinicians.
As the program is a substitution of hospital based care, the Department of Health and Human Services requires that you are visited daily by at least one member of the team (including weekends).
- Allied health visits will generally occur between 9.00am-4.00pm Monday to Friday.
- Nursing visits will generally occur between 8.00am-8.00pm Monday to Sunday.
You will receive a phone call every morning to inform you of your visits for the day.
Better at Home will provide all medical care at home. If you choose to visit your GP, Medicare Bulk Billing will not be feasible as you are still considered as an inpatient of Caulfield Hospital.
A letter is sent to your GP to inform them of your admission to the service.
A copy of your medical discharge summary is sent to your GP on discharge from the service.
The service is part of the public healthcare system and offers hospital care to any Australian resident under Medicare arrangements.
How to access this service
Referral from your GP
You need a referral letter from your GP or medical practitioner to access this service.
Your doctor will need to fax your referral letter to us. We will be in contact with you in clinically recommended times, depending on waiting list length. If there is no waiting list, you will receive an appointment booking letter or we will contact you to arrange a suitable time.
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