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Healing at “home sweet home”
When offered, Rick Garcia jumped at the chance to be admitted to Vancouver General Hospital’s (VGH) new Hospital at Home program. He had already been admitted as a gastroenterology in-patient for a week.
“I went for it right away, without question,” Rick says. “I wanted to be in my own bed as I was having trouble getting to sleep in the hospital bed.”
Hospital at Home is a proven, innovative program that gives patients access to hospital-level care through a mix of in-person and virtual visits with all members of the health-care team, remote monitoring through the use of virtual and wearable technologies, and 24/7 access to nursing.
After an education session with a Hospital at Home nurse, Rick eagerly returned home that evening. Shortly after arrival, two nurses visited him to set up the necessary equipment he would need to check his vitals and communicate with the Hospital at Home team.
Despite initial uncertainty, Rick quickly adapted to the tablet, thermometer, blood pressure cuff, and a call bell he wore around his neck.
"I was a bit nervous when I first got home, but the call bell made me feel at ease," he shared.
Rick used the call bell once when he was feeling unwell. Prompt assistance reassured him, and he soon settled into the Hospital at Home routine. Daily calls and visits with a nurse or doctor, along with evening video calls, became his new norm.
"I was able to get back to my daily home rituals and was feeling good," Rick reflected. Within a few days, his condition improved, and after one week, he was discharged from the program.
Rick praises the Hospital at Home initiative, emphasizing the excellent care and the comfort of being at home.
His favourite part? “Sleeping in my own bed and eating my own food!”
Learn more
Read more and watch a video about VGH’s Hospital at Home program.