Epworth expands Hospital at Home services

Epworth HealthCare has celebrated the 25th anniversary of its 'Hospital at Home' program by expanding services to help even more patients.

Epworth at Home now integrates services that include acute care, rehabilitation, and chemotherapy, providing hospital-standard care delivered by doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals, all in the comfort of the patients' homes.

Program director Cindy Joffe said the highly-trained team could deliver a comprehensive level of care, including 24/7 on-call services and monitoring.

"As an Epworth at Home patient, you are treated just like an admitted Epworth hospital patient, but without being in the hospital setting," she said.

"Epworth doctors, nurses and allied health professionals deliver personalised care in the comfort of your home, including intravenous therapies, blood transfusions, pain management, complex wound care, chemotherapy, and post-surgical rehabilitation."

For 81-year-old Laurie, Epworth at Home means receiving his regular chemotherapy treatments in the comfort of his own house, taking away the need for long journeys on public transport to attend hospital appointments.

He was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in 2024 and now requires seven injections every four weeks, along with a 10-day course of tablets, all administered and supported by an Epworth chemotherapy nurse.

"I think it is a magnificent system," Laurie said.

"If I had to travel to East Melbourne for treatment, it would mean an hour each way on public transport and that's on top of the time spent at the hospital.

"Being able to receive all my treatment at home in just 15 minutes is fantastic."

As well as the convenience, Laurie said he had built a strong connection with his Epworth care team.

"We have a bit of a chat while they are here," he said.

"Every nurse I have encountered has been exceptional. Not only highly skilled, but also genuinely kind and compassionate."

Another patient, Christine, was able to undertake all six weeks of her rehabilitation appointments at home following her right hip replacement surgery at Epworth Eastern in February 2025.

She said it was a relief to undergo the "daunting" recovery process at home.

"It is a fantastic service. I did not have to organise anything prior, it was all done for me.

"Having my rehabilitation at home meant I did not have to worry about getting in the car and travelling back and forth, and I could do my exercises comfortably from my own bed," she said.

"The physios don't just come in and do the exercises with you, but they check your veins for deep vein thrombosis, they ask you questions about how you are progressing, and they are side by side with you as you recover.

"I appreciated the moral support as well, to know you are progressing and that I had support for my concerns."

Read more: New robotic first at Epworth Richmond

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