Hospital in the Home
How we can help you
We care for people over the age of 16 years who have infections or people over the age of 60 years who need rehabilitation after surgery or a long stay in hospital.
We come to you in your own home or nursing home. Our nurses will visit you regularly. Our doctor will visit you when needed. We can:
- give you intravenous antibiotics if you have an infection. These are antibiotics which are directly injected into your vein.
- provide rehabilitation services after you have had an operation or a long stay in hospital. This includes organising any special equipment you may need.
Our team includes:
- Medical Director and Registrar (Doctor in training): The Doctor will monitor your health and treatment plan until you are better or referred to another service.
- Registered Nurses: Our nurses will visit you regularly to give you your medicine and other treatments.
- Physiotherapists: The physiotherapists will explain what exercises you need to do after you have had surgery.
- Occupational Therapists: The Occupational Therapist will provide equipment and advice on how to stay safe at home after you have had surgery.
- Administrative staff: Our administration staff answer the phone and can help with any questions you may have.
We work closely with your local general practitioner (GP) the staff at Prince of Wales Hospital and other doctors who may refer you to our service.
Our nurses will visit every day depending on your treatment plan. They will also visit you on weekends and public holidays. The nurses will provide all the medical equipment that is needed. They will talk to your GP and our doctor about your progress and discuss with them any concerns they may have. Our doctor will visit to check your progress and will decide when you no longer need to use our services.
Who is eligible to use our services?
- People over the age of 16 years who have an infection and need antibiotics to be directly injected into a vein.
- People over the age of 60 years who need rehabilitation support after surgery.
- You must live in the suburbs that are covered by our service. To find out if you are eligible please contact our office.
How to make an appointment for a visit
If you have an infection your GP will ring our doctor to discuss your treatment needs. If it is decided that you need antibiotics to be injected directly into a vein you will receive a call from the nurse to organise the visit.
If you need rehabilitation at home you or your GP can contact us to discuss your needs.
What time are the visits?
We usually visit between 7.00am and 2.00pm. If our nurses need to visit outside these times we will let you know.
What happens if I have an appointment and will not be available for the visit?
If you are not available for an appointment please talk with your nurse or contact our office a few days beforehand so we can make alternative arrangements.
If you need antibiotics, our doctor will organise these. You will need to organise your regular medicines with your GP.
Our nursing service is available 24 hours a day. You will be given a phone number to contact us if you feel unwell. If you are very unwell please go to the Emergency Department.
Please let us know if you need an interpreter. You can contact us telephoning the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450. Tell the operator what language you speak and then ask the interpreter to set up a telephone conversation between you, an interpreter, and the healthcare professional you want to speak with.
Prince of Wales Hospital is a teaching hospital and you may be asked for your permission for a student to be present during the visits. You have the right to say no. If you do so, this will not influence the treatment or services available to you.