Orlando Health Hospital Care at Home

Your tablet has a Care Plan. On it, your nurse writes the names of the care team who will be working with you for each shift, each day. Your nurse also will list your tasks and activities for each day. Please review your Care Plan with your nurse.

At each shift change, the nurse going off and the nurse coming on duty will call on your tablet to discuss your plan of care and set goals of care with you. This gives you the opportunity to meet the nurse taking over your care, as well as ask any questions or share concerns or information you may have. This takes place at 6:45 in the morning and in the evening.

You will be monitored remotely throughout the day and night to ensure your safety. While we encourage quiet time for healing in the comfort of your own home, your care team will contact you at any time should the need arise.

A hospital leader will virtually round on you daily to make sure your needs are being met and that you are satisfied with your care. If you are not fully satisfied with your care, please let the leader know.

At Orlando Health, we believe that the patient is an important part of the healthcare team. Being a partner in your care helps ensure that you are comfortable and confident with your care. It is important for you to understand the process and reasons for any test, procedure or medication ordered for you, and your doctor and care team are happy to explain it to you. If the explanation given does not make sense, or if you have any questions, feel free to ask again. If you do not agree with the course of care, do not hesitate to ask for a second opinion.

A hospitalist is an acute-care physician who focuses on a patient’s hospital care from the time of admission until discharge. The hospitalists at Orlando Health are board- certified internal medicine specialists who manage your care while you are admitted to Orlando Health Hospital Care at Home. Hospitalists work as partners with your primary care doctor, but because they are based in the hospital, they can answer your questions and provide your care in a timely manner. While you may be seen by more than one hospitalist during your stay, your care will continue to be well coordinated and seamless.

To ensure you are provided the best care during your stay, our nursing team is available 24 hours a day to provide care. This team is made up of registered nurses and paramedics. You can expect that they will monitor and assess your health, provide medications, coordinate needs for the doctors, address your daily needs and assist with coordinating your discharge.

The care management team is an important partner in your discharge planning. They will assist with your discharge needs including any required home equipment, supplies or services. They will also assist with placement for skilled nursing or assisted living facilities if needed.

For the delivery of complete and continual care, your healthcare team includes many additional caregivers who work together with your doctors. Other members of your healthcare team that you may interact with include residents and fellows, advanced practice providers, dietitians, pharmacists, technology specialists, phlebotomists and physical therapists.

If necessary, your team of healthcare professionals may include doctors who have specialized training in a particular field, such as cardiovascular care, pulmonary, and infectious diseases. Your hospitalist will coordinate care and communicate with these doctors about your plan of care.

Couriers are an essential part of the Orlando Health Hospital Care at Home program. They deliver your medications and meals daily and pick up lab specimens as needed.

We use a double-check identification process, so your nurses will ask your name and check your identification bracelet regularly, even if they are familiar with you. You also have the right to know who is providing your care. Hospital policy requires that every team member wear a photo identification badge. If the badge is not visible, ask who they are and what their role is in your care.

Safety matters, even when you are in your home environment. The Hospital Care at Home team will conduct a home safety assessment during admission.

Help reduce your risk of falling:

• Remove tripping hazards (e.g., throw rugs, oxygen tubing, etc.)
• Know the side effects of your medications
• Notify your healthcare team of any new symptoms

The hospital will provide all your medications to you while you are admitted to Orlando Health Hospital Care at Home. You may NOT take your home medications during your admission. All medications must be taken on video with your nurse or administered by a nurse or paramedic in your home. As an added safety measure, your nurse will ask your name and date of birth before giving you medicine. If the medication you are given does not look like what you are used to taking or is being given at a different time than usual, ask your nurse to check that it is the correct medication for you. Whenever you are given a new medication, you should be told its purpose and any likely side effects. Tell your nurse right away if you have any other reactions to a new medication.

Hand washing is one of the best and easiest ways to prevent infection. For easy access for our healthcare team and our visitors, hand sanitizer will be provided upon admission. Maintaining a clean environment is necessary to the healing process. It’s important to wipe down surfaces, use clean linens and towels, and follow any recommendations provided by your healthcare team.

For your safety and the safety of our team, your home should be a smoke-free environment while you are admitted to Orlando Health Hospital Care at Home. Please speak with your doctor or nurse if you have any concerns so that a staff member can provide you with assistance.

Orlando Health is committed to ensuring safe places to receive care, and as such, upholds a zero-tolerance policy for any act of violence. The possession of any weapon at/in any Orlando Health facility also is prohibited, except for active-duty law enforcement. All weapons must be secured throughout admission to Orlando Health Hospital Care at Home.

We recognize that your pets are an important part of your family and can promote healing. While our care team is present, your pet must be kept securely in a separate room or crated.