A Partner For Your Life
Your needs or those of your loved ones can change over time. What was a sufficient level of care once may now no longer be enough. Living circumstances may change, or new challenges arise that mean you need more support across a growing range of areas — rehabilitation, complex clinical care management, hospital in the home, or end of life care.
When you’ve had a life-changing injury
“My husband had a serious bicycle accident a few months ago and fractured his neck. While he’s out of the ICU and now in the hospital spinal unit, he will need 24/7 ventilation and care around the clock for the foreseeable future. He wants to come home to be with his family, but I know I won’t be able to provide the sort of care he needs to be safe. Can I get the right level of clinical care for him and how this is funded?”
HOW VITALIS HELPS
Yes. There are very few organisations that can provide fully accredited healthcare at home for complex needs such as your husband’s, but Vitalis is able to help. Vitalis has been supporting patients with spinal injuries who require ventilation since 2020 and has a track record for exceptional care. In collaboration with his hospital team, Vitalis will help with the funding application to ensure the right funding package is in place, and build a team of nurses specifically trained in your husband’s needs. For more information, please contact us.
When you’ve taken a fall
“I had a fall at home a few weeks back and fractured my hip and wrist. I’ve been recovering in hospital and am almost ready to be discharged. I want to go home but I’ve been told I’ll have to go into temporary residential care as I’m not able to look after myself yet. I’m worried that if I agree to go into residential care I’ll never get back to my own home again. Are there services that would enable me to stay at home to recover?”
HOW VITALIS HELPS
Yes. There are both subsidised and private services that can help you recover at home. Ask your discharge planner whether the hospital offers home-based care services that can help you and whether you can have an ACAT assessment before discharge. That might unlock access for you to some government-subsidised home care services.
You can also engage a Vitalis to provide help with personal and nursing care to assist with your recovery at home. We can also help with Hospital in the Home (HITH) and Rehabilitation in the Home (RITH) services when required. For more information, please contact us.
When you are recovering from Cancer
“After being diagnosed with breast cancer and having a mastectomy in June, I’ve had to continue with radiation therapy and chemotherapy which has left me feeling sick and exhausted. My family have been really supportive, but my husband needs to get back to our family business, and my parents will need to return to Brisbane at the end of the month. I really want to stay at home but I can’t cope on my own. Are there services that can help me through this?”
HOW VITALIS HELPS
Yes. There are many services that can assist you through this period. First, ask your clinic nurse what services you can access through your treating hospital.
You can also engage us to help you manage your healthcare and personal needs at home. Vitalis uses an integrated model of care that extends from helping you with the basics such as transport and appointments right through to organising medications to help with pain relief and nausea, wound care and physiotherapy services.
Vitalis also has a specialised clinical team of nurses who can provide complex Hospital in the Home care and Chemotherapy in the Home, so that your time in hospital is as short as possible. You can recover in the comfort of your own home, while still receiving any high-level clinical care you may need. For more information, please contact us.
When you need rehabilitation after a knee or hip replacement
“I’m scheduled for a hip replacement next month and I’ve been told I will stay in hospital for a few days and then be transferred to a rehabilitation facility for another week or two. My preference would be to come home sooner, and to do my rehabilitation at home instead. Is this possible? How can I arrange this?”
HOW VITALIS HELPS
For most people, rehabilitation at home (RITH) is not just the preferred option, but the option that enables them to recover faster and to avoid some of the complications that can arise from a prolonged hospital stay, such as infection. Many private health funds fully subsidise RITH, enabling patients to have this choice. Vitalis RITH combines in person physiotherapy visits with telehealth support from our specialist orthopaedic nurses, giving you the peace of mind that you’ll always have support if you need it. To find out if you’re eligible for Vitalis RITH, please contact us.
When you’ve been diagnosed with motor neurone disease
“Last year I was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. Initially the symptoms were fairly manageable but over the past few months it’s become harder to cope without quite a lot of help from my family. I can see that soon I won’t be able to shower or feed myself, and there is a real risk of falls and choking. I want to get some help so I can remain at home for as long as I possible and, when the time comes, to pass away at home with my family with me. Is this possible?”
HOW VITALIS HELPS
Yes. Vitalis support patients with complex progressive conditions such as MND, initially with personal care and help with day to day needs such as transport to appointments, but then progressing to clinical care (including palliation) as needs change. Working closely with your clinical team (your GP, MND specialist, palliative care doctors, occupational therapist and rehabilitation providers) Vitalis’ complex and palliative care team can support your needs, including enabling you to remain at home with your family through to the end of your journey. For more information, please contact us.
When you need rehabilitation after cardiac surgery
“I’m going in for cardiac bypass surgery later this week and have been told that to maximise my chances of making a full recovery, I’ll need to have cardiac rehabilitation. The nearest rehabilitation hospital is two buses or an expensive taxi ride away (as I’m not permitted to drive for 6 weeks), and will be very disruptive to my family. Is there a way I can have my rehabilitation at home instead?
HOW VITALIS HELPS
For most people, cardiac rehabilitation at home (RITH) is preferred for a range of reasons, including convenience, reduced risk of infection, avoiding hard-to-find and expensive hospital parking, and having more autonomy over your time. Many private health funds fully subsidise cardiac RITH, enabling patients to have this choice. Vitalis RITH combines in person physiotherapy visits with telehealth support from our specialist cardiac nurses, giving you the peace of mind that you’ll always have support if you need it. To find out if you’re eligible for Vitalis RITH, please contact us.
When you have an infection needing IV antibiotics
“I had a knee replacement recently and have developed a serious infection in my knee joint. I’ve had a surgical washout but will now need IV antibiotics for the next few weeks. After so long in hospital already, I really want to go home if I can, and be treated there. Is this possible? How can I organise this?”
HOW VITALIS HELPS
Once you are stable, you can ask your hospital team if you are eligible to receive Hospital in the Home (HITH) to complete your course of IV antibiotics. Many public hospitals have their own HITH service; if you are in a private hospital you can request referral to Vitalis HITH. Patients eligible for Vitalis HITH are usually transferred home same day or next day, with our Specialist Registered Nurses visiting you each day to provide your treatment. The cost is usually fully covered by your health fund. To find out if you’re eligible for Vitalis HITH, please contact us.
When Mum needs help at home
“I’m quite worried about Mum. Since we lost Dad last year Mum has lost weight, she’s become quite forgetful and withdrawn, and when I visited her on the weekend I noticed the garden was completely overrun with weeds and her fridge was almost empty. She’s not looking after herself – not showering or keeping her clothes washed – and doesn’t seem aware of this at all. I can see she needs help but I work full-time so can only get over there on the weekends. What can I do? Is a nursing home the only answer?”
HOW VITALIS HELPS
For some people, a nursing home is the best answer, but for many people, well-structured care at home is a better option. There is a range of subsidised and private services available to help people stay safely at home. The first step is to encourage your Mum to have an assessment of her health and care needs, including a check of her cognition, so you can both see what is available and what she’d benefit most from. Often what’s needed is companionship and help with things like shopping and meal preparation, light housekeeping and activities that engage her interest and help her re-establish social connections. Vitalis can help with this assessment, as well as providing clinically supervised longer-hours care that gives you peace of mind that your Mum is safe at home.
When you need an iron infusion
“I have had chronically low iron for years now and have had to find infusion centres who can provide me with a regular iron infusion. It’s quite time consuming though, and not always easy to fit it into my work calendar. I’d really like to find an option where I could schedule it at a time that suits me better, preferably at home. Can Vitalis help me with this?
HOW VITALIS HELPS
Yes. Our infusion nurses are skilled at delivering a range of infusions and can schedule these at times that work for you. To find out more, please contact us.
When you’ve been told you have a terminal illness
“It is now clear that my father’s surgery and treatments have not been successful and he is going to be discharged from hospital later this week. I can see he’ll need a lot of help when he gets home, and he’s told me he’s had enough of hospitals and wants to stay home now with Mum. I’m sure she’ll want to help as much as she can, but she won’t be able to get him up and to the shower, and he’ll need help with his pain relief and managing his wound after the surgery. I don’t know what other help he’ll need, or how to even start finding it. Can Vitalis help?”
HOW VITALIS HELPS
Yes. Vitalis provides expert and compassionate palliative and end of life support at home. Working together with your father’s clinical team (GP, palliative care physician etc) Vitalis’ complex care team provides much-needed support for patients in their end-of-life journey, with care increasing to match evolving needs. Some health funds support their members with at home palliative care funding. Contact us to find out more about palliative and end of life funding options.
When caring for Dad becomes too much for Mum
“Since Dad was diagnosed with dementia last year he has been increasingly difficult to manage at home. Mum can barely leave the house as Dad is so anxious when she’s not there. They’ve had a few instances now where Dad has called 000 when he can’t find her, even when she was just out the front talking with a neighbour. The only option seems to be residential care for Dad but neither wants to be separated. What can they do?”
HOW VITALIS HELPS
Supporting a loved one with advancing dementia can be challenging and the burden on carers is significant. Having a comprehensive assessment, assistive technology and an experienced caregiver to assist at home can reduce the stress and give full-time carers a much needed break to attend to their own needs, even having a haircut or seeing a movie with a friend, knowing their loved one is safe and well cared for.
Activities can include regular walks to improve communication and prevent wandering, medication reminders, music therapy, memory games and conversations about family histories.
Vitalis staff are skilled in monitoring for physical and mental changes that may indicate underlying conditions such as pain, depression or hearing loss that contribute to a patient’s anxiety. In-home care can enable your parents to continue living together at home and enjoy a better quality of life.
What Our Clients Say
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Vitalis services are accredited with the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) ensuring the highest standards of clinical care are maintained, and includes full clinical governance.
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