Hospital in the Home (HITH)

Eastern Health’s Hospital-in-the-Home (HITH) service is one of the largest services in Victoria. Medical and nursing staff provide care in patients’ homes, at our HITH clinic or residential aged care facilities. Patients that can be safely cared for at home have better outcomes and reduced risk of complications. Our HITH service aims to help patients avoid unnecessary presentations to the emergency departments and admissions to bed-based hospital care, whilst providing hospital-level care in the community.

Patients admitted to the HITH program receive 24 hour, 7-days a week care and support, either on-site or via telephone support. Patients receive an initial medical assessment at our HITH Clinic in Maroondah Hospital, following acceptance into our program. Eastern Health is medically accountable for the patient until discharge from our service.

HITH can look after most patients that are haemodynamically stable and are able to self-care at home or have carers to support them. Services HITH offer include, but are not limited to, IV antibiotic therapy, IV diuresis, IV steroids, wound management, IV infusions, post-surgical management of drain tubes, iron infusion service, and oncology treatments. Our service is beneficial for people in residential aged care facilities who can receive care in convenient, familiar surroundings.

For further information on the referral process or to discuss a referral please contact HITH on (03) 9871 3197, 8am-9pm, 7 days a week.