Australia’s healthcare system is facing an unprecedented, dire situation. The nation has been working to balance its rotation of hospital staff as it faces critical pressures driven by the COVID-19 infections, which range from high numbers of patient hospitalisations to record numbers of staff self-isolating. This further burdens already overloaded hospital operations – resulting in patients having to endure long waiting hours to receive care at emergency departments, while senior medical professionals are warning of mass burnout.
To address this issue, Victoria’s state government is planning to ease the pressure on the healthcare system with the “Better at Home initiative”. This is aimed at allowing patients with critical needs to have post-surgery recovery care at home.
The push for home-based post-surgery recovery care is timely because it can free up hospital beds for critical needs and ensure more people receive life-saving treatment. Meanwhile, post-surgery patients can benefit emotionally when they recover in the comforts of their homes, surrounded by family and friends.
Exploring post-surgical care within the home
While most people go to the hospital for various medical issues and care, not all types of care require hospitalisation or constant monitoring, even post-surgery. Many types of post-surgery care for patients are long-term and have become part of the patient’s routine. This includes taking medication on time, managing stoma care and wound recovery, as well as keeping up with rehabilitation. With the right guidance, this care can be continued in the safety and comfort of a home, which also frees up hospital beds for more critical cases.
The benefits of recovering in a home environment are also well documented. Various studies have shown that patients often prefer to be cared for at home rather than in the hospital, and receiving care at home is associated with notable physical and mental health improvements. This is further bolstered by the ability of loved ones to support their recovery without hospital visitation regulations, which are often restrictive due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A common misconception is that home-based post-surgery care may not be up to the stringent standards of hospital-based caregiving, especially if it involves unfamiliar procedures. However, this is not the case. At companies such as Homage, we work closely with professional nurses and caregivers who can cater to various post-surgery needs ranging from round-the-clock monitoring and tube feeding to administering injections and wound care.
Bridging the gap with professional home-based care
Our Care Professionals – consisting of professionally trained and qualified nurses and support workers – are carefully vetted and selected to support families with post-surgical care, palliative care, tube feeding and medication administration, among other medical-related services. They can also provide support from a human standpoint via companionship, help with personal care and hygiene, as well as assist with a patient’s activities of daily living. This supports the patient’s emotional as well as physical recovery and helps the family with meeting caregiving needs.
With accessible home-based post-surgical care services, patients and caregivers can be assured of continued quality of care, with these services becoming the bridge between the hospital and the home. When in need, Homage’s Care Professionals can also accompany patients for any pertinent doctor visits or follow-ups in hospitals, making sure the patient is getting the best medical care available.
Homage stands ready to ease some of the burdens that public hospitals in Victoria are facing from increasing pressures of critical hospitalisations and staff shortages, ensuring that patients continue to have access to good healthcare. We are committed to working together with the Australian healthcare system to manage and weather the current health crisis.
