There’s no place like home. It’s where the heart is, and it’s where we’re most comfortable.

Home tends to be people’s preferred place to recover from illness, but discharge from hospital can be a daunting change for many patients, their families and caregivers. While in hospital, patients have 24/7 access to highly qualified staff and resources, and therefore the transition home without immediate access to these resources can lead to anxiety and fear.

Quinte@Home is a new program that helps to quell those fears by providing eligible patients immediate access to homecare supports and resources as they return home. A partnership between Quinte Health, Hastings Prince Edward Ontario Health Team partners, and SE Health – Quinte@Home supports patients so they can go home safely and confidently, supported by a home and community care system that’s there when they need it.

Working in collaboration with Quinte Health, and with an interdisciplinary team that includes coordinators, nurses, personal support workers, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, social workers, dietitians and other supports that patients may need, SE Health creates a care plan and delivers vital home care services while also connecting patients to community support services such as Meals on Wheels, community transportation, and social/wellness programs. The Quinte@Home team also ensures that patients have a post-discharge follow up with their primary care provider and arranges for any required equipment or supplies.

“This valuable partnership between our Quinte Health hospitals and SE Health lets us work together to meet the health and social needs of patients returning home,” said Lina Rinaldi, Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive, Quinte Health. “Quinte@Home enhances our patients’ experience because they spend less time in hospital and, with a safe care plan arranged, will have timely homecare supports. It’s a win-win for patients, caregivers, health care providers and the health care system as patients are receiving appropriate care and supports in the location that’s best for them.”

Quinte@Home provides safe transitions, restorative care, an enhanced patient experience, and it also helps to preserve hospital capacity by making beds available for patients who need the acute care that hospitals provide. The program will also be helpful for patients in the community who are at high risk and require interdisciplinary and community services to avoid hospital admission. For example, certain patients who present to Quinte Health’s emergency departments, or patients considered high-risk to be admitted to hospital by their primary care provider may also be eligible for referral to the program.

“This innovative program is reinventing how we deliver holistic, patient- and family-centred life care,” said Shelby Fisch, Vice President, Acute Care Operations at SE Health. “Using an interdisciplinary, one care team approach, we are enhancing trust between patients, families and the care team while offering a seamless transition from hospital to home. We are excited to partner with Quinte Health, allowing us to deliver exceptional, personalized care at home while optimizing independence for our patients.”

Patients typically spend 16 weeks in the Quinte@Home program. If they continue to require ongoing care, the Quinte@Home team connects them with homecare services provided by South East Home and Community Care Support Services (HCCSS).

#Connection

#StrongerTogether

If you have a story that you would like to share about our Quinte Health hospitals and teams, email info@qhc.on.ca.