Health services are assisting people with COVID-19 to recover in their homes where possible, via the COVID-19 Positive Pathways South Gippsland Coast Partnership.
Patients receive tailored treatment plans as part of the Hospital In The Home - COVID Home Monitoring Program. The service entails medical, nursing and allied health clinical services – as required - delivered via telehealth using remote monitoring technology. For a small number of patients the clinical staff may need to do a home visit.
This treatment approach ensures patients remain comfortable in their homes if their health allows, while minimising the need to present to hospital. Patients whose health does not allow them to be treated at home will be conveyed by ambulance to a COVID streaming hospital.
Patients that live in the Bass Coast or South Gippsland Local Government Areas can be referred to the COVID Home Monitoring Program by the Gippsland Region Public Health Unit, by a GP or by another hospital.
Bass Coast Health (BCH) is part of the South Gippsland Coast Partnership which also includes Gippsland Southern Health Service, South Gippsland Hospital and Kooweerup Regional Health Service.
Bass Coast Health will head up the program and enlist the other health services to provide care as required.
BCH CEO Jan Child said during this COVID surge the team is providing an essential service in our community, caring for up to 40 patients at home each week.
“We as a health service are doing all we can to provide the best care possible to our community during the COVID pandemic,” she said.
“The COVID Home Monitoring Program is essential to this and the community can take heart in knowing this program is in place. At the same time, we urge everyone in the community to be vaccinated where they are eligible as people who are vaccinated are at a lesser risk of falling ill to COVID and if they do contract COVID, they are likely to experience a less severe degree of illness.
“It’s those people who are likely to be treated as part of the COVID Home Monitoring Program.”
The CEOs of Gippsland Southern Health Service, Kooweerup Regional Health Service and South Gippsland Hospital all agree that “it is important to ensure our community receives the safe care that they need as close to home as possible. Care in your home can’t get any closer”.