FAQs

Most people prefer to continue living at home, even as they age or need to manage chronic conditions. Healthcare at home helps you maintain your independence and dignity and choose which services will help you manage your health and remain safely in your home. There is also evidence to support better health care outcomes for people who choose to be treated at home. And in many cases you can also be better-off financially by choosing healthcare at home over residential care.

Vitalis provides integrated and personalised healthcare services, so you can select the most appropriate level of care for now, and adapt as your needs change. Our staff are trained and overseen by senior clinicians and are available to provide support and care coordination when needed, including the ability to rapidly step up to 24/7 care as needs evolve.

Vitalis conducts rigorous recruitment, screening and hiring processes to make sure our people are capable, experienced and qualified as nurses and caregivers. One key aspect includes the practical application of the Vitalis Golden Rule where our interviewers ask themselves, “Would I hire this person to care for my own family?” We put ourselves in your shoes so we can have absolute confidence in every member of the Vitalis team.

Vitalis works with you and your family to assess, identify and deliver an individualised care plan that best matches what you need now, as well as considering what you may need in the future. We can recommend trusted service providers — to help you with anything from home modifications, aids, transport services and assistive technologies to keep you or your loved one safe at home — as well as connect you with support groups and programs.

Our comprehensive intake assessment helps our clients and their families decide what the most appropriate and cost-effective healthcare at home solutions are for their needs.
For most people, staying at home means they are better off from a health perspective as well as better off financially. We can help you tailor your healthcare at home services to best meet and manage your needs.

Vitalis will work with you and your family to help you manage your healthcare at home costs and to create a plan that meets your individual needs and finances. We can help you identify if you may be eligible for government funding or private health insurance rebates, and can connect you with a network of recommended advisors who can assist you with options for funding your healthcare.

Older Australians and people with disabilities may be eligible for government funding that helps with the cost of healthcare at home. Australians aged 65 and older can find information at www.myagedcare.gov.au, people up to the age of 64 with disabilities can find information at https://www.ndis.gov.au

No. Healthcare at home can assist a young disabled individual, or a person who is recovering after being discharged from hospital. This includes complex clinical care services following life changing injuries, rehabilitation in the home following cardiac surgery, hip replacement surgery, or knee replacement surgery, as well as high level Hospital in the Home.

Yes. All our nurses and caregivers are direct employees of Vitalis, not subcontractors. We pay all insurances and taxes associated with our nurses and caregivers. You will never be in the position of having to directly pay our nurses or caregivers.

Yes. All Vitalis employees are covered under our comprehensive insurance policies. They also have up to date police checks and Working With Children Certificates.

Vitalis employs Enrolled Nurses and Registered Nurses to provide in home healthcare for our patients. We also employ highly credentialed Registered Nurses (including Clinical Nurse Specialists) with many years of specialist training and clinical experience for our high acuity teams. In common with all our staff, we apply the Vitalis Golden Rule during the recruitment process. If the interviewer is absolutely confident that they would hire them to care for their own family, that nurse is invited to join the Vitalis team.

We aim to recruit the top 20% of qualified and experienced AINs and caregivers who have a genuine interest in providing healthcare for people in their homes. They are thoroughly screened, vetted, referenced checked and, in common with the recruitment of all our caregivers, we apply the Vitalis Golden Rule. If the interviewer is absolutely confident that they would hire them to care for their own family, that person is invited to join the Vitalis team.

We’ll help you make that decision. Vitalis provides clients with a comprehensive intake assessment so our clients and their families decide what is right for them. This helps us to work with you to identify and tailor the most appropriate and cost-effective healthcare at home for you and your family.

Hospital in the Home (HITH) is an acute care service available for patients who wish to be discharged from hospital and continue their clinical care in the comfort of their own home. Acute care is delivered by our HITH service under the supervision of your treating doctor. Private health insurers usually cover the entire episode of care meaning no out of pocket costs for you.

If you are managing a condition or illness that requires a care plan, we work with your GP to continuously assess and administer your care plan as well as notify and respond to any changes that may arise. As much as possible, we will provide consistency in Vitalis staff so that clients and staff form bonds and build trust. If extensive or around-the-clock healthcare at home is required, a team of regular staff will be assigned on a shift basis.

Live-in staff sleep in your home overnight and provide active care for an agreed period of time during waking hours. They will require a place to sleep and it is assumed they will have a relatively uninterrupted night’s sleep. If you are not able to accommodate a staff to sleep overnight or you require more care during the night, we can assign two or more staff to provide continuous care day and night.

You should always call 000 if you have a medical emergency. Your Vitalis staff is instructed to notify their Manager after 000 has been called. All staff are trained in emergency procedures and your care plan will include a priority list of people to call should an emergency arise. This list should always be kept up to date with the Vitalis office team and placed in a highly visible part of your home.

It’s up to you, but we recommend that your caregiver goes with you so they can help facilitate the transition from home to hospital. Your caregiver can then communicate with family members and assist you until family can be there. Your caregiver is trained to immediately call their Manager.

Yes, they can. Having your Vitalis staff member with you can help make sure you receive the highest level of attention and they can speak to hospital staff on your behalf about what you need. Vitalis can also provide advocacy and healthcare navigation services for you.

If you are not happy with any aspect of your care or your caregiver, please call us on 1300 848 254 and a member of our staff will discuss this with you.

Yes. Your caregiver can assist you with errands such as shopping or collecting your dry-cleaning.

Yes, they can. Your caregiver can accompany you to a range of outings of your choice. You will need to cover any travel related expenses or additional costs that are incurred by your caregiver on such trips.

No. You are not required to provide meals for your caregivers. Some clients enjoy the company of their caregivers at mealtimes and invite them to join them, especially when carers spend significant time with you in your home. However this is not a requirement.

Yes. Your Vitalis staff member can go with you to and from your medical and personal appointments, as well as accompany you when you run errands. You need to cover any travel related expenses that are incurred by your caregiver on such trips.

Yes, it is. Informal carers have a very demanding role and it’s important they have time to do the things they need to do, as well as simply have some time off. Vitalis can provide short term, one-off or ongoing respite care in the home.

There are some things that require the services of a Registered Nurse. For example, to administer medications or for wound care. However, in many cases a properly trained and Registered Nurse supervised Nursing Assistant or Companion is all that is required. This keeps your home care costs at a much more reasonable level, but retains the clinical care backup if needed.

Vitalis can help you navigate the health care system to help you find the care you need. Call us for a confidential discussion.

It is essential that staff are safe when they provide your healthcare at home services. Before we start, we will need to conduct a Workplace Health and Safety assessment and repeat this periodically to ensure your care is appropriate to your needs and can be safely delivered by our staff.

Nursing Assistants and caregivers are not permitted to do anything that is clinical or invasive in nature. For example, our Nursing Assistants can assist with showering and continence care but cannot administer injections.