Combining family care with professional support in home hospitalization
When a patient needs continuous clinical attention, the role of the family is fundamental. Daily accompaniment, constant observation, and the emotional environment directly influence the patient's evolution. However, when complex medical needs exist, family care must be integrated within a structured and safe healthcare model. In this context, home hospitalization allows keeping the patient at home without renouncing the clinical standards proper to a hospital.
The home as a safe care environment
More and more health systems recognize that the home can become a controlled clinical environment if there is adequate planning. Home healthcare favors emotional stability, improves adherence to treatments, and reduces risks associated with prolonged hospital stays, such as nosocomial infections.
However, this model is only effective when supported by clinical protocols, technology, and specialized and coordinated professionals. The family environment contributes emotional value and continuous support, but does not substitute medical supervision or necessary technical care.
The role of the healthcare team in home hospitalization
Home hospitalization is based on the intervention of medical and nursing teams that act in the home with hospital criteria. Professional home care includes treatment administration, cures, vital signs monitoring, and early detection of clinical changes.
This approach guarantees care continuity, avoids unnecessary travel, and facilitates fluid communication with the family, who participates informed and accompanied throughout the process.
Benefits versus traditional hospitalization
Among the main benefits of home hospitalization are:
- Greater comfort and privacy for the patient
- Reduction of hospital infection risk
- Comprehensive patient care at home
- Active involvement of the family environment
For this reason, it consolidates as one of the main alternatives to traditional hospitalization, especially for chronic or clinically stable patients.
Galeneo and home healthcare
At Galeneo, we understand home hospitalization as a real extension of the hospital. Our model integrates home health services, clinical coordination, and specialized teams to offer safe, effective, and guaranteed home healthcare centered on the patient.
Want to learn more about our services? Visit our services page or contact us directly.
Bibliography
- Pandit, J.A., Pawelek, J.B., Leff, B. et al. The hospital at home in the USA: current status and future prospects. npj Digit. Med. 7, 48 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-024-01040-9
- Leong MQ, Lim CW, Lai YF. Comparison of Hospital-at-Home models: a systematic review of reviews. BMJ Open. 2021 Jan 29;11(1):e043285. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-043285. PMID: 33514582; PMCID: PMC7849878.
- Levine DM, Ouchi K, Blanchfield B, Saenz A, Burke K, Paz M, Diamond K, Pu CT, Schnipper JL. Hospital-Level Care at Home for Acutely Ill Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Ann Intern Med. 2020 Jan 21;172(2):77-85. https://doi.org/10.7326/M19-0600. Epub 2019 Dec 17. PMID: 31842232.