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Right at Home Blog

Making a Safe Transition from Hospital to Home with Right at Home

| RightTransitions

Coming home from a hospital or a nursing home stay can be such a relief. But the transition involves more than just moving locations — it is about the patient adapting to a new daily routine, managing health conditions, and perhaps dealing with new limits on what they can do.

A smooth transition can lower the risk of complications, prevent unnecessary hospital readmissions, and help hasten recovery. That is why, if possible, patients should begin planning for their transition from hospital to home before they are admitted.

How Home Care Can Help

Home care services are essential in supporting recovery. Home care professionals complement and enhance the medical care the patient may be receiving. 

Here are just a few ways home health care providers can help:

  • Daily life. Home care workers help with everyday activities like bathing, dressing, cooking, and cleaning. Domestic support is key to avoiding injuries and making sure the client’s basic care needs are met. For those managing chronic disease, these tasks can become increasingly difficult, making the support from home care workers vital.
  • Keeping track of medicines. Proper medication management is crucial to avoiding adverse reactions and ensuring the treatment works. This is particularly important for older adults with chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart disease. Home care providers can organise medications, remind patients about dosages, and watch for side effects.
  • Support with movement and rehab. Allied health services including physical therapy are often a key part of recovery. Local Right at Home offices can arrange care workers who will help patients keep up with exercises, get to therapy appointments, and the care co-ordinators can also set up in-home therapist visits.
  • Providing companionship. Recovering at home can be lonely, especially for those who live alone. Home care providers offer friendship, join in with social activities, and help keep home a positive place. This support is essential for maintaining mobility and managing pain or other symptoms related to chronic conditions, and of course good mental health.
  • Connecting with doctors. Home care workers can be an important link between the client and their medical practitioners. Caregivers can report changes in the client’s condition including medication side effects, emotional or mental health issues, changes in pain, or other symptoms.

How Home Care Works with Other Services

Home care easily complements other health care services that an older adult might need, such as:

  • Skilled Nursing. These services provide clinical care. For example, a Right at Home nurse may administer medicines, dress wounds, or provide medical examinations, which are often necessary for those with chronic conditions.
  • Hospital-at-home care. Some patients need even more than a visiting nurse. For example, their recovery may require medical equipment (and the expertise to use it). This level of care is provided by hospital-at-home programs.
  • Hospice care. Hospice patients typically receive visits from a nurse, a social worker, and a spiritual adviser.

In all these cases, home care providers can offer nursing, personal care and nonmedical support by helping with household tasks, providing companionship, supporting the family emotionally, and taking the care recipient to medical appointments if that is part of their care plan.

A Valuable Part of the Care Plan

Adding home care services to an in-home, post hospital recovery plan can be a big help for the client and their support network. These services provide practical help and emotional support. What is more, they can enhance the effectiveness of ongoing health care services, ensuring a safer, smoother transition. By creating an environment that supports healing and independence, home care services help older adults regain their strength and confidence at home. If you or a loved one is planning for recovery after hospital care, consider adding home care services for successful recuperation.


Keep up to date with COVID 19 information via the following links: 

Australian Government Department of Health 

Victorian Health and Human Services 

NSW Health 

Queensland Health 

ACT Health 

WA Department of Health 

Tasmanian Department of Health 

Northern Territory Department of Health 

SA Health 

Founded in 1995, Right at Home offers in-home companionship and personal care, and assistance to seniors (elderly and aged care), and any adult who needs our care at home including adults living with a disability who want to continue to live independently or age in their home. Right at Home is your local expert for issues related to caring for your loved ones and is dedicated to keeping you informed about home care. With no package management fees, Right at Home allows you to get more care from your package or budget. 

Right at Home is a 'My Aged Care' government approved, home care provider for levels 1 – 4 and offers flexible in-home care services such as nursing care, after hospital care, post-operative care, respite care, dementia and Alzheimer's care. Right at Home also offers assistance with daily living and personal care such as grooming, hygiene, transport, shopping, meal prep, domestic services and social support, so your loved one can enjoy a more independent, vibrant life. Our nurses and caregivers are screened, highly trained, and insured prior to entering your home so you can trust us with the caregiving while you focus on your loved one. 

To find out more, please give us a call on 1300 363 802 or visit our website. 

Right at Home Offices in Australia: ACT & Queanbeyan; ACT Canberra; Adelaide Central; Brisbane Bayside; Brisbane North; Brisbane South; Brisbane West; Central Queensland & Wide Bay; Central West New South Wales; Darling Downs; Far North Queensland; Gold Coast North; Gold Coast South; Gosford; Greater Logan; Hunter & Port Stephens; Ipswich Lockyer Valley; Kalgoorlie Wheatbelt; Macarthur Penrith; Mackay; Melbourne Brighton; Melbourne Frankston; Melbourne Glen Waverley; Melbourne North; Moreton Bay Region; Newcastle; Noosa, Gympie & Hinterland; North Queensland; Northern Rivers; Padstow St George; Perth Midland; Perth Northern Suburbs; Perth South; Perth South Eastern Suburbs; Perth West Coast; South West WA; Southern NSW; Southwest Victoria; Sunshine Coast; Sydney Central & Eastern Suburbs; Sydney Five Dock; Sydney Inner West; Sydney Liverpool; Sydney Lower North Shore; Sydney Northern Beaches; Sydney Norwest; Sydney Parramatta; Sydney Randwick; Sydney Ryde; Sydney Sutherland Shire; Sydney The Hills; Sydney Upper North Shore; Western NSW 

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