Hospital to Home celebrated during Occupational Therapy Week

This Occupational Therapy Week, Townsville HHS is celebrating our wonderful Occupational Therapy team, who have created a new 'Hospital to Home' program aimed at helping patients return home sooner, and better supporting them after hospital.

Townsville Hospital occupational therapist Michelle Combridge said the program was about providing a person-centred approach to care.

“While reviewing a patient on the hospital ward is important, being able to see them in their own home has so many added benefits,” she said.

“You are essentially taking someone from the artificial hospital environment where they feel out of their comfort zone and in an unfamiliar place, and into their own homes, a place where they feel safe and empowered.

“We’ve found patients are much more responsive to foundations and strategies for change, and for us, being able to be in the patient’s space allows us to provide more practical and comprehensive solutions and trouble-shoot problems that may not have been considered while the patient was in hospital.

“This model also reduces the risk of re-presenting to hospital and provides patients with a more long-term plan for their ongoing care."

Michelle said the three-person team dedicates their time to enabling patients to return home in a supported way.

“Occupational therapists will always just be a phone call away for these patients, whether it’s another home visit, help over the phone, or connecting her with other health professionals to get any help she needs," she said.

“The whole team is passionate about patient care and are delighted to provide this service to the region.”