The Care You Need, From Your Own Home
Our innovative Hospital Care at Home program gives selected patients the opportunity to have their hospital care needs met from the safety and comfort of home. Through a combination of in-home and Video Visits with nurses, physicians, and nurse practitioners, as well as remote monitoring, you will receive the same level of expert care we provide to our patients in the hospital.
- Hospital-level care
- Patient-centered, focused on each individual patient
- U-M Health physicians
- Coordination across your U-M specialist teams
Seamless Care Experience
Your Hospital Care at Home care team will coordinate all aspects of your care.
- Experienced, specially trained nurses and clinicians will deliver medications and in-home medical care.
- Our physicians will meet with you at least once a day through Video Visits.
- The medical staff in our command center will monitor your vital signs remotely throughout your Hospital Care at Home admission. If emergency care is needed, we’ll send paramedics to you right away.
- Interpreter services will be provided for patients who do not use English as their primary language.
- We will coordinate medications, medical supplies, diagnostic testing, therapy, social work and even meal services as needed to support your healing and recovery.
- Our care team will provide personalized education about your treatment and any additional follow-up care you may need after your admission is over.
The Hospital Care at Home team works with your primary care provider and any U-M Health specialists involved in your care to ensure you have a seamless care experience, and that information from your Hospital Care at Home admission is available to your other providers. If additional follow-up with any specialists is needed, we will coordinate any referrals to support your continued care after your admission.
Research shows that Hospital Care at Home patients experience similar outcomes as patients who are admitted to the hospital, without the inconvenience of needing to stay in the hospital. Rest and recover comfortably at home, enjoying a quiet environment, better sleep, and visitors whenever you like.
What Should I Expect from my Hospital Care at Home experience?
If your provider recommends you for admission to our Hospital Care at Home program, our team will help you understand what to expect and answer any questions you might have to make informed choices about your care. Our goal is for each patient who chooses the Hospital Care at Home program to feel confident about receiving their care at home.
If you are at a U-M Health hospital when you are admitted to Hospital Care at Home, medically supervised transportation back to your home will be provided. You will be met at home by a member of our Hospital Care at Home team. We will help you get settled in and set up a schedule for your Hospital Care at Home routine.
You will be connected to your care team with easy-to-use devices, and technology assistance is available around-the-clock to support your care at home.
Everything you need connect with our team will be provided, including:
- tablet for Video Visits with your care team
- phone that connects directly to our command center care team
- personal emergency response bracelet
- vital sign monitoring devices
- router for internet access
- backup power supply
Your Hospital Care at Home team is here to help you receive care safely at home, with confidence.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT HOSPITAL CARE AT HOME
Who can receive their hospital care through the Hospital Care at Home program?
Patients who may benefit from the Hospital Care at Home program require hospital-level care, but – with proper care – are likely to heal well with low risk of their condition getting worse. Patients who are less likely to require highly technical hospital-based procedures during their admission are also good candidates for Hospital Care at HOme
Some of the illnesses commonly treated by our Hospital Care at Home program include:
- Urinary tract infections (UTI)
- COVID-19
- Flu
- Congestive heart failure
- Acute kidney injuries
- Certain skin infections
Patients are carefully evaluated to determine if they can safely and effectively receive care at home based on specific criteria. Our care team will never recommend a patient receive care at home if their needs cannot be safely met in the home environment.
Can I choose whether or not to receive Hospital Care at Home?
If your provider offers you the option to receive Hospital Care at Home, the choice is still yours. Your care team will answer any questions you have to help you decide about whether to receive your care at home or in the hospital.
Is Hospital Care at Home covered by my insurance?
Our team will work with you to determine if Hospital Care at Home is covered by your insurance plan. Hospital Care at Home is a newer care concept that many insurances are starting to participate in, and coverage by individual plans may vary. We will check with your insurance provider to see if the Hospital Care at Home program may be right for you.
Can I receive Hospital Care at Home if I live alone?
A caregiver is not required. If you live alone currently and can carry out routine activities of daily living without assistance, you can receive Hospital Care at Home if your care team recommends it.
How long will I receive Hospital Care at Home?
Your Hospital Care at Home admission period may vary. The length of your stay with Hospital Care at Home admission is determined by your care team. Once you have met your care goals you are discharged from the program. Most patients receive Hospital Care at Home for 3 to 5 days.
How will I know if I am eligible to receive Hospital Care at Home?
Your care team will recommend Hospital Care at Home to you as an option if you can safely and effectively receive your hospital-level care from home. You can also ask your care team if it is an option for you, but please know that some types of treatment cannot be offered through Hospital Care at Home.
What is the difference between Hospital Care at Home and Virtual Care?
Virtual Care involves E-Visits, Video Visits and remote monitoring. Hospital Care at Home may use some of the same tools in your care, but it also includes home visits from Hospital Care at Home nurses or nurse practitioners, and other medical professionals. Hospital Care at Home is considered a hospital admission and provides inpatient hospital-level care.
Who will be on my Hospital Care at Home team?
Your care team is led by U-M Health doctors and includes nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses and other health care professionals such as paramedics, physical and occupational therapists and dietitians. You have real-time phone and video chat access to your care team through our Hospital Care at Home command center anytime, day or night.
Your Hospital Care at Home team is a dedicated team that specializes in this type of hospital-level home-based care, and most likely will not include your regular primary care and specialist physicians.
Your Hospital Care at Home physician team will detail your care in your electronic medical record so your U-M Health physicians will have access to complete information about your care.
What time of day do the home visits take place in the Hospital Care at Home program?
Home visits with nurses, physicians, and nurse practitioners, as well as medication deliveries, can take place at various times throughout the day depending on your treatment plan. You will know in advance approximately what time your home visits will take place. A schedule for your care plan will be available to you on your tablet.
You will have convenient and immediate access to our virtual care team 24 hours a day.
Can I leave my home during my Hospital Care at Home treatment?
Just as patients admitted to the hospital are asked not to leave the hospital during their stay, we ask that you stay home while receiving Hospital Care at Home.
I am not comfortable with mobile devices (tablets, iPads, smartphones). Will Hospital Care at Home require me to use mobile devices?
There will be some use of mobile devices involved in your care if you choose the Hospital Care at Home program. A member of our team will visit your home to set up everything you need to communicate with your care team. A tablet with Bluetooth and cellular data capabilities will be provided for your use during your admission. Technology assistance is available around-the-clock to support your care at home.
Is Hospital Care at Home available for chronic medical conditions?
Hospital Care at Home is a specific program for management of acute conditions that require hospital-level care. It is different from a home health or skilled nursing program. Your care team has other offerings they will recommend for chronic disease management if you require long-term care or assistance with activities of daily living.
What types of medical equipment could my Hospital Care at Home treatment involve?
Hospital Care at Home can involve several different types of medical equipment, ranging from IVs, oxygen, wound supplies, nebulizer treatments, catheter supplies, and assistive devices such as a walker or portable bedside toilet. We will provide any instructions you might need, and your Hospital Care at Home team will provide any care that requires medical training when they do your home visits.
Neither you nor the person living with you during your Hospital Care at Home admission will need to have medical training or skills related to the equipment. Any equipment that is needed for your care will be delivered to your home and picked up after your Hospital Care at Home admission is over.
What if I need higher level care or a procedure that cannot be performed in my home?
Most patients do not require additional care at the hospital during their Hospital Care at Home admission. If you do need a specific procedure or care that cannot be provided in your home, your care team will make all the arrangements needed for a safe and seamless transfer to the hospital for those services. We are committed to providing our patients with the right care at the right time and in the right place.
What is the difference between Hospital Care at Home and home health care?
Hospital Care at Home is acute care, similar to the care you would receive in the hospital, but provided in the comfort of your home. Hospital Care at Home is generally provided over a short period of time, and is offered as an option for patients who need hospital level-care.
Home health care is also provided in the home setting, but it is generally offered to treat an illness or injury that would not otherwise have required an admission to the hospital, or to support healing after a hospital admission is over.