BC’s Hospital at Home expands to Cowichan

VICTORIA, BC – People are receiving safe, timely acute care from their own homes through the newly expanded Hospital at Home (HaH) program at Cowichan District Hospital (CDH). HaH is an internationally recognized model that is both safe and effective, and is designed to improve patient comfort, privacy and independence.

The teams include doctors, registered nurses, pharmacists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists, and speech-language pathologists, among others. Other specialists may be provided as needed so care is tailored to a patient’s individual needs.

“People living in Duncan and surrounding areas now have expanded access to hospital-level health care in the comfort of their own homes,” said Adrian Dix (pictured), minister of Health. “After a successful pilot in Victoria, the expansion into Cowichan will now ensure that residents in the area will receive comprehensive, team-based care, while simultaneously supporting the healthcare system. We’re committed to growing and strengthening people’s access to high-quality health services, and this is just one way that we are doing so.”

Launched on April 16, 2024, the CDH HaH program is funded to provide 10 beds. Eligible patients must be medically and geographically appropriate for the program and participation is voluntary.

Multidisciplinary teams of health-care professionals make daily visits to patients at their own homes. Patients receive daily visits from the doctor depending on the patient’s condition. It could be in person or virtual. HaH nurses, who are also available 24/7 to patients for consultation and check-ins, do daily in-person visits.

Other members of the HaH team are also available to provide virtual visits. Care teams provide services, including medication management, blood draws, IV therapy and supplemental oxygen. Transfers to hospital can be arranged for services provided only in hospital. If patients no longer want to participate in the program or their condition changes, Island Health will co-ordinate their transfer back to the hospital.

“As a CDH Hospital at Home patient, I felt so cared for and supported both virtually and in person by CDH nursing staff,” said Claire Killick, patient, CDH Hospital at Home program. “It gave me the confidence to know that I could safely complete my recovery from the comfort of my own home.”

Examples of patients suitable to receive care through HaH may include those with chronic conditions, such as congestive heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), patients needing hospital-level treatment for various infections, or other conditions where care would be safe to provide in the home environment.

“People in Cowichan deserve healthcare that’s accessible and close to family and community,” said Premier David Eby. “Expanding the local Hospital at Home program gives patients the comfort and convenience of receiving care in their own homes, making it easier to heal and recover with loved ones nearby while still receiving the best care.”

“Hospital at Home provides patient-centred care away from our acute-care sites to allow some patients to be where they can recover best – in their home setting. Island Health’s Hospital at Home has received the Canadian College of Health Leader’s 2022 Excellence in Patient Experience Award, and I am pleased that this award-winning program is now available to Cowichan patients and families,” said Donna Jouan-Tapp, project director, Cowichan Health and Care Plan (CHCP).

“Along with other CHCP programs like our COPD clinic, short-term enablement planning suites, seniors outpatient clinic and enhanced palliative-care services, Hospital at Home is an innovative program aimed at supporting patients to manage their health from home or in the community for longer, while reducing the need for hospital admissions.”

To learn more about Hospital at Home in Island Health, visit: https://www.islandhealth.ca/our-services/hospital-home-services/hospital-home

There are seven HaH programs operating in B.C., with two recently launched in Vancouver in January 2024. In July 2024, 192 patients received care through HaH programs in B.C.

Data from B.C.’s first HaH program, launched in 2020 at Victoria General Hospital and expanded to Royal Jubilee Hospital in 2021, in Island Health has been able to save more than 19,777 bed days, providing care for as many as 20 patients at a time.

An evaluation after the first year of Island Health HaH service found:

• 99% of patients would recommend HaH to family and friends;
• 98% of caregivers would recommend HaH and felt confident as a caregiver; and
• 100% of staff would recommend HaH to friends and family.

Demonstrated outcomes of HaH include, but are not limited to:

• improved patient comfort, privacy and independence;
• improved caregiver satisfaction and involvement; and
• decreased risk of hospital-acquired delirium, infections and mortality.