Hospital at Home
UMass Memorial Health is pleased to offer our Hospital at Home program, an innovative way for you to receive high-quality, hospital-level care in the comfort and familiarity of your own home. With our outstanding clinicians visiting your home several times a day and telehealth technology keeping you connected to your health care team, we bring the hospital to you.
Studies show that Hospital at Home programs improve patient outcomes and increase patient satisfaction. It’s all part of our relentless pursuit of healing, and our desire to improve the lives of our patients.
Services
In addition to the care you need that is specific to your condition, the services offered through our Hospital at Home program are the same you would find at the hospital, and include:
- UMass Memorial Medical Center nurses will deliver medications and in-home care twice a day using state-of-the-art digital devices
- Doctors will visit with patients via telemedicine at least once a day
- Remote vital signs will be monitored in our command unit
- Providers will be on call and can send paramedics/EMS in cases of emergency
- Food, supplies, therapy, social work and care coordination will also be coordinated and delivered in the home
- Medications (oral and intravenous, when needed)
- Respiratory care including oxygen
- Diagnostic testing (labs, radiology)
- Transportation for testing, if needed
Thad's Hospital at Home Testimonial
Thad Stappenbeck was one of the first patients to be treated in our Hospital at Home program to receive treatment for pneumonia symptoms brought on by COVID-19. He shares his experience of comfort, ease, and quality care and what prospective patients can expect from Hospital at Home.
Joy's Hospital at Home Testimonial
Bringing the hospital to you is the goal of the Hospital At Home Program at UMass Memorial Health. Joy was able to be monitored continuously in the comfort of her home via tablet. Regular visits from the nurses gave her confidence that she was in good hands while being able to sleep in her own bed each night. It’s no wonder the program helps improve patient outcomes and increase patient satisfaction.
What You Can Expect
If you are admitted to the Hospital at Home program, you will leave UMass Memorial Medical Center and be met at your home by a member of the Hospital at Home team. We will help you get settled at home, including working with you to determine the best timing for your daily visits from your care team.
While admitted to the Hospital at Home program, you will be connected with your care team round-the-clock through the use of devices that will allow for vital sign monitoring and telemedicine visits.
Before you are discharged from the Hospital at Home, your care team will work with you to determine and coordinate what, if any, further services you may need.
Hospital at Home will provide interpreter services at no cost to you, so you can receive your health care information in the language you prefer.
Comprehensive Care
| Your Hospital at Home care team is centered around you and your needs and will be in close contact with you during your stay. The team will also be in communication with your primary care provider, and any UMass Memorial Health specialist you may have. Your Hospital at Home care team is made up of several medical professionals, and will include: |
Your Care Team
Your Medical Doctor or Advanced Practice Provider
This medical provider will oversee your care and check in with you daily, either in-person or virtually.
Your Nurse
A registered nurse will visit you in your home at least twice a day.
Your Paramedics
A specially trained paramedic may visit you during your Hospital at Home stay, depending on your care plan.
Rehabilitation Therapists
Occupational therapists, physical therapists and speech language pathologists will be scheduled as needed based on the treatment that you require.
Cost
UMass Memorial Medical Center will bill your health insurance provider for your Hospital at Home stay. You may be responsible for co-pays and other costs determined by your plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hospital at Home is for patients who have acute conditions or illnesses with low complication rates. This includes:
- Certain skin infections
- Urinary tract infections (UTI)
- COVID-19
- Flu
- Congestive heart failure exacerbation (when heart failure gets worse)
- Acute kidney injuries
- Other problems unlikely to have complications
Your doctors and nurses will speak with you and your family about the Hospital at Home program if it is an option for you.
Yes. With the Hospital at Home program, you receive the same level of care at home that hospital inpatients receive. You get care from the same doctors who would see you in the hospital. We use the newest telehealth technology to bring our clinical experts to you at home.
No. You can decline to participate in Hospital at Home, and stay at the hospital instead.
Your safety is our first priority. The Hospital at Home program takes many steps to ensuring you are safe and receive effective care. Before you are admitted to the program, we carefully evaluate your medical condition and home situation to ensure Hospital at Home is a good option for your care. Only patients with certain medical conditions with low complication rates are considered. Also, we remotely monitor your vital signs 24 hours a day and can send care to your location rapidly whenever necessary.
Yes. Hospital at Home is not the same as home health care. Home health care services are prescribed by a doctor to treat or manage an illness, injury or medical condition, often after a hospital stay. With Hospital at Home, doctors and nurses provide you with hospital-level medical treatment and 24-hour monitoring for an acute illness or condition. Hospital at Home patients would be in the hospital if they didn’t participate in the program.
As a Hospital at Home patient, you have a device kit that measures and sends your vital signs to your care team. Your device kit tracks heart rate, respiratory rate, pulse oximetry and body temperature. This information is monitored 24 hours a day. Your care team responds to any issues right away and will assess your needs, conduct a telehealth visit, and send assistance to your home if needed. If necessary, we can bring you to an inpatient unit at one of our UMass Memorial Medical Center campuses.
If your care team decides you need to go back to the hospital, one of two things will happen. If you need emergency care, we will send you to the emergency room. If we think you will progress better in a hospital, Hospital at Home staff will stay with you and continue your Hospital at Home care, until a hospital bed is available for you.
Hospital at Home is for everyone, regardless of income level. Your health insurance will cover your Hospital at Home care the same way it will cover a stay in a hospital. Hospital at Home care qualifies as acute inpatient hospital care.
Yes. Studies show that the bond between people and their pets can have health benefits. However, we may ask pets to be moved to a separate room during our visits.
If you are admitted to the Hospital at Home program, we will transport you to your house at our expense. There is no cost to you. A nurse from the Hospital at Home program will meet you at your house when you arrive.
We will ensure you have transportation to any other doctor’s appointments you have.
If you had a PCA or a Home Health Aide (HHA) before your Hospital at Home stay, we will work with you to have that support reinstated at our expense.
Studies show that Hospital at Home programs are safe and effective — and they offer patients more satisfaction and improved medical outcomes compared to hospital stays. While a hospital is sometimes the most appropriate place to receive care, a patient’s own home can be the setting that helps them heal most effectively. At home, patients can get better sleep and have fewer disruptions — which can help with the healing process.
At UMass Memorial Medical Center, we often have more people seeking care than we do hospital beds. This is true of many academic medical centers and hospitals that serve the community. This can lead to patients who need an inpatient bed waiting in the emergency room, which is not intended for inpatient care. By offering inpatient-level care to patients in the comfort of their own homes, we can prevent patients from long waits while also alleviating some of the strain on our emergency rooms.
Hospital at Home In the News
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Relentless Innovation at UMass Memorial Health
As one of the leading academic medical centers in the country, we take our mission of research, education and outstanding patient care seriously. And because we’re also charged with the health and health care of all people throughout Central Massachusetts, we maintain an intense focus on creating new and better ways to make health care available for all. A better experience. Better outcomes. Healthier lives. It’s what we live for.