Hospital at Home

Comprehensive Inpatient Care. All the Comforts of Home

Hospital-at-Home is a new program offered by University Hospitals that provides comprehensive, inpatient care at the patient’s home instead of the hospital. The Medicare-sponsored program reflects a growing trend across the country in which health care is shifting away from hospital-based care to a home-based model. UH is one of the first health systems in the region to offer this option to eligible patients.

To speak with a nurse about Hospital at Home, please call 216-844-2200, 24/7.

UH Hospital-at-Home is an innovative, voluntary program that allows patients who would be admitted to a hospital to recover at home safely and comfortably, while maintaining hospital-level care.

The Benefits of Receiving Inpatient Care at Home

Being cared for at home can have a significant positive effect on patient recovery and health outcomes. Benefits may include:

Reduced stress and length of stay associated with traditional inpatient stays
Improved recovery times, due to a familiar environment and the presence and support of loved ones
Decreased use of emergency medical services
Less risk of hospital-acquired infections
Family members can be included in care planning, even those who live far away

Testimonial from Ms. J. - particularly enjoyed the meal service and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to heal at home. She was grateful that her children were able to participate in her care from afar and conveyed how hopeful she is that this program will expand to reach more patients like herself.

How Are Patients Cared For at Home?

The evaluation of the patient for the program will typically begin in the emergency department. If the patient is determined to be eligible, the Hospital-at-Home team will have an initial meeting to plan for their meals, medications, and the delivery and set up of any specialized medical equipment that may be required. The patient will then be safely transported to their home by our dedicated team of paramedics.

Testimonial from Mr. I. - jumped at the opportunity to participate in the program. His wife was also at home with COVID-19 and he was very concerned who would care for her if he was admitted into the hospital. He was so impressed by the benefits of remote monitoring, he requested that his wife be monitored in the same way. His team quickly enrolled his wife in the program, providing greater piece of mind for the entire family. Mr. I. has since changed his PCP to a UH physician and he and his wife both conveyed their gratitude for the program and the care they received.

Once settled at home, the patient will be actively cared for with the following services:

24/7 Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM)

The UH Hospital-at-Home team uses the most advanced technology available to monitor patients’ vital signs remotely, including oxygen levels, respiration rate (breathing), temperature and pulse rate. Each patient is given a monitoring device to wear which automatically sends this information to their hospital-based care team, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. With this system, our medical providers can continually assess the patient’s health status, monitor their medical stability, track treatment compliance and recommend interventions when necessary.

In addition, twice daily, or as directed by the care team, patients are contacted via their smart device and asked some basic health questions, such as “are you having trouble breathing?” Their responses to these questions are relayed to their hospital-based team along with the vital signs data to provide a more comprehensive profile of the patient’s overall well-being.

Daily In-Person and Virtual Visits

Patients receive at least two daily in-person visits from a nurse or a paramedic who will check on them, monitor their progress and answer any questions they might have. In addition, there will be daily in-person or virtual visits from a doctor and/or other medical professionals. Virtual visits will be conducted using Zoom on a smart phone or computer. If you need assistance in getting Zoom set up on your device, your care team can help. These visits help your team understand how you are doing and if you need additional medical care or services.

Meals and Medication Delivery

Hospital-at-Home patients receive three meals a day, just as they would in the hospital. We provide a menu from which the patient can select and order their meals for the next three days. Your care team will review your selections to ensure any dietary restrictions or requirements are met – diabetic or low-salt meals, for example. Meals are delivered daily.

Your prescription medications and/or oxygen will also be delivered to your home. There will be frequent in-person or virtual meetings with your team to review or make changes to your medication schedule, ensure you are taking them correctly and that the dosage is effective in managing your condition.

Specialty Care & Services

Depending on each patient’s specific needs, other medical professionals may be involved in their care at home, either in-person or virtually. These specialty services may include respiratory care, laboratory or radiology services, and physical/occupational/speech therapy services.

24/7 Access to Your Care Team

While receiving inpatient care at home, patients have 24/7 phone access to the UH Hospital-at-Home care team. This real-time connection ensures that patients can always reach a clinician if they have questions or concerns. If a new health problem arises or your condition worsens, based either on your input or the information being transmitted through your monitor, arrangements will be quickly made to send our dedicated team of paramedics to your home and transfer you to the hospital. There is no additional charge if transfer is required.

Testimonial from Mrs. G.

was extremely thankful for the opportunity to receive care at home and raved about all the caregivers who participated in her plan of care. Her daughter also expressed her heartfelt gratitude to have been able to participate in her mom’s care virtually and be informed every step of the way. The entire family was impressed by how powerful the program was in relieving the stress associated with a traditional hospital admission.

Testimonial from Mrs. M.

was elated with the quick and creative response of the team and believes that the steps taken to improve her nutrition intake aided her recovery. Her daughters thought the program offers an amazing use of technology and loved the collaboration of the team. They were both very involved throughout Mrs. M.’s admission and could not say enough great things about the program.

Who is Eligible for Hospital-at-Home Care?

Eligibility for Hospital-at-Home care will be determined by the patient’s medical needs and their willingness to receive care at home. The program is voluntary and some people may feel more comfortable receiving care in a traditional hospital setting and that is entirely their choice. Both the patient and their physician must agree that receiving care at home is both safe and appropriate. Other eligibility requirements include:

Must have a diagnosis that requires inpatient hospital care, as determined by a medical provider
Must have traditional Medicare insurance coverage
Must have and be able to use the required communication tools (Smart phone, iPad or tablet)
Must be able to independently manage the activities of daily life, including going to the bathroom

For their safety, patients with a secondary condition such as active cancer (other than melanoma or prostate cancer), end-stage kidney disease, or acute heart & vascular disease are not eligible for Hospital-at-Home care.

Janora’s Story

Read one patient’s account of the care she received under the UH Hospital-at Home program and why she would recommend it to anyone who is eligible.