In-home rehab after surgery means an end to long, painful hospital trips

There’s no doubt that having surgery is stressful, but that’s only one part of the story. Even travelling to and from the rehabilitation appointments that may follow your surgery can add to the worry and inconvenience recovery time brings.

In fact, more than two thirds (67 per cent) of Australians who visited a hospital said getting to and from hospital is a major stressor, new research from private health insurer Medibank found[1].

Expensive parking was one of the two big contributors to stress, with at least one in ten people reporting they’d spent more than $40 on parking for a single hospital visit.

Public transport was the other big headache for those visiting hospitals. Nearly 40 per cent of the people surveyed said public transport wasn’t adequate in their area to get to hospital, and 23 per cent said they would struggle to walk the distance between the public transport stop and hospital entrance.

Recognising the difficulties patients face when it comes to making hospital visits, Medibank recently launched its new Medibank at Home program. The program spans a range of care services, including the currently available national rehabilitation at home service[2], as well as chemotherapy and palliative care trials, and a recently announced dialysis at home trial. 

“We know that travelling to and from hospital can be the source of added stress, and can negatively impact a patient’s wellbeing – not just physically, but mentally,” Medibank’s chief medical officer Dr Linda Swan said.

“With the launch of Medibank at Home, we aim to help alleviate the burden many face when travelling to and from the hospital, so members can focus on what’s important – their health.”

Dave, 46, benefited from Medibank’s home rehabilitation program after his recent hip surgery.

When the father of two found it too painful to keep up with an active toddler and new-born baby, he decided to have a full hip replacement.

Following a four-day stay in hospital, Dave got the all-clear from his doctor to have at-home rehab. A physiotherapist visited Dave regularly to assist him to re-gain mobility and the function of his hip in the comfort of his own home.

“I could phone him or text him between visits,” Dave recalled. “That kind of service just made a world of difference to me. It was just awesome to be able to come home straight away – that’s where your heart is.”

Research has found that one of the main benefits of in-home rehabilitation is improved quality of life for the patient[3]. Other obvious benefits of this style of care include greater support for the patient from being close to their family and friends, and greater flexibility and convenience of post-surgery care.

Medibank’s program offers additional benefits that make rehab at home even more family-friendly.

“One thing that we took advantage of was getting meals delivered to the house,” Dave said.

“I am the main cook of the family. So, in the rehab in the home program, meals were really convenient and just took the pressure off.”

Dr Swan said that Medibank at Home was about “empowering our members with greater choice, control and flexibility around where they receive their care”.

“Results from our current pilots show that for members with specific health needs, receiving care at home can deliver as good or better results, alleviate stress for both the patient and their support network, and decrease the risk of hospital readmission,” she said.

“Looking at the bigger picture, Medibank at Home and these trials go beyond just benefiting patients, it promotes a sustainable healthcare system, with the potential to significantly increase capacity and ease the growing demand for hospital services.”

[1]. Research conducted by ACA Research between May 9, 2017 and May 12, 2017. 1,000 respondents were surveyed, with all having visited a hospital either for themselves or to visit a friend/relative at least once in the last 12 months.

[2]. Eligibility criteria applies. Applicable to Medibank members only and must hold Medibank hospital insurance that includes cover for hip and knee replacements. Waiting periods might apply and doctor’s referral before discharged from hospital. Consideration of eligible members home environment suitability and existing support network.

[3] Kristin Siggeirsdottir et al. Short hospital stay augmented with education and home-based rehabilitation improves function and quality of life after hip replacement, Acta Orthopaedica 2005;76(4):555-562

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.