Hospital at Home

Hospital at Home: We bring the hospital to you.

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.

Hospital at Home Benefits for the Patient

We Bring the Hospital to You:

We bring individual, human-centered hospital-level care to you in the comfort of your own home!

We Provide the Best of the Hospital and Keep Away the Worst:

Our dedicated care team treats you like family, while bringing you all the needed medical care and 24/7 access to your nurses and physicians. And staying out of the hospital reduces your risk of hospital-acquired infections, blood clots, falls, confusion, poor sleep, separation from your loved ones and loss of control over your environment.

By Caring for You in Your Home We Will More Deeply Understand You, Your Family and Your Lived Experience:

In your home, we learn more about your values, your health, your goals, your diet, your medication use, your mobility and your health challenges. This knowledge helps us provide you the best care possible.

You Will Have Lower Risk of Needing to Go Back to the Hospital After Discharge:

Evidence shows that for appropriately selected patients, the Hospital at Home program is safer and lowers your risk of readmission back to the hospital after discharge compared to a stay in a brick-and-mortar hospital.

You Will Be More Satisfied with Your Care:

Evidence shows that for appropriately selected patients, patients and families are more satisfied with their care in a Hospital at Home program compared to a stay in a brick-and-mortar hospital.

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

Doctor discusses treatment with patient in her home.

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.

Your Care Team

Doctor takes patient's blood pressure in patient's home.

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 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

What conditions can be treated by the Hospital at Home program?

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.

Will I get the same type of care at home as in the hospital?

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.

If my doctor offers me the Hospital at Home program, do I have to participate?

No. You can decline to participate in Hospital at Home, and stay at the hospital instead.

Is Hospital at Home safe?

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.

Is Hospital at Home different from home health care?

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.

What if my condition gets worse at home? How will the Hospital at Home providers know?

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.

What if I need to go back to the hospital? Will there be a bed available for me?

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.

How is Hospital at Home paid for? Can I afford it?

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.

Can I participate in the Hospital at Home program if I have pets?

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.

How do I get home from the hospital? And what happens when I first get home?

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.

What if I have other medical appointments while I’m admitted to Hospital at Home?

We will ensure you have transportation to any other doctor’s appointments you have.

I had a Personal Care Assistant (PCA) before I became a Hospital at Home patient? Will I still have a PCA after I’m discharged?

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.

How can I benefit from the Hospital at Home program?

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.

Does the Hospital at Home program benefit UMass Memorial Medical Center?

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

“Our whole goal with the home hospital program is to help better meet the community need by providing inpatient capacity in the home”

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Momentum behind hospital-at-home continues to grow, but proponents say Congress needs to act to fuel more investment

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Hospital comes directly to Worcester homes through UMass Memorial Health program

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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.