Patients and their family members viewed Hospital At Home very favorably. In fact, those that received care in Hospital at Home reported greater satisfaction with the care their sick family member received in Hospital At Home compared to those treated in the acute hospital care. They found relationships with the physicians and other health care providers more satisfying than patients and families who experienced acute hospital care. They also preferred the process of admission and discharge in Hospital At Home over those processes in an acute hospital. They felt that Hospital At Home was as safe as the acute hospital and they found their home a more comfortable setting for their sick family member. Also, family members of patients reported less stress related to the experience of having a family member cared for in Hospital At Home compared with those whose family member was treated in the acute hospital.
Did Hospital At Home Mean More Work for Family Members? Yes and no. In a traditional acute hospital, hospital workers prepare the food, straighten up the room, and make the bed. In Hospital At Home, the nurse and the family member shared these responsibilities. However, the family members were not asked to get or give medication or to function as a nurse. The family member helped the patient in their usual ways. After discharge from Hospital At Home, the family member returned to the usual tasks that they did for the patient. In our studies, family members did not report these activities to be stressful.
