The Department of Health is to launch a new initiative offering hospital patients the opportunity to recover from their illness or surgery at home with family and friends.
The new program – Better at Home – is to be funded for three years in next week’s Budget, reflecting growing demand among the community for healthcare through increased delivery of hospital services in patients’ homes.
Minister for Health, Martin Foley said the Budget would meet the costs of providing a range of different types of care at home, including clinic appointments, chemotherapy, post-surgical care and rehabilitation.
He said virtual care technology would be boosted to sustain the high rates of telehealth and training and support provided for the clinical workforce who would also need to take part in the transformation.
Mr Foley said that through Better at Home, up to 50,000 chemotherapy appointments could be delivered in living rooms across Victoria, or 50,000 days people previously spent in hospital recovering or undertaking rehabilitation could be done from the comfort of home, freeing up around 160 hospital beds.
He said the initiative would also improve the quality of care as patients would be enabled to choose to recover in a familiar environment, rather than in hospital if they preferred.
“Clinical evidence shows patients achieve better outcomes at home, where they avoid the physical deterioration, sleep disruption and social isolation associated with hospital stays,” Mr Foley said.
He said that while the coronavirus pandemic had been “extremely hard” on Victorians, it did give rise to some innovative, more effective ways of caring for people.
“Expanding the Better at Home program will mean many patients, particularly in regional Victoria will have better outcomes because they can recover or do their rehab in the comfort and familiar surroundings of their own home,” Mr Foley said.
“Through this initiative Hospitals and health services will be equipped with even more telehealth facilities, allowing patients to receive the very best care from the comfort of their home and without having to travel.”
