As a rotational physiotherapist I had the opportunity to spend 8months working with the hospital at home team. On my arrival, I was welcomed with open arms by an incredibly supportive and friendly team. Not really knowing what to expect, I initially found the thought of leaving the wards and venturing out into the community daunting; however, a part of me was intrigued and excited to see a different aspect of the patient pathway....

I would like to share my positive experience and my observation. Firstly, throughout my placement, the HAHT staff were so helpful, supportive and friendly. I had a fantastic time and learnt so much along the way. I felt entirely part of the team, which was nice, and the teamwork is great. During my visits to patients’ homes, I got the opportunity to learn how each patient is unique, and how the nurses were doing everything they could to put the patients’ needs first... 

I first started seriously considering a career in geriatrics when I was in third year of medical school. I was on a general medical ward, and I went with a geriatrics registrar to see a lady in her late 80s with dementia who was a ‘social admission’. Although it would have been easy to have just written ‘medically fit for discharge’ in her notes and moved on, the doctor I was with helped her sit up in bed, refilled her water jug and drew her attention to the beautiful view out of the window. This was the first time I had seen that medicine could be like this and it excited me about medicine in a way that I had not experienced since I started university. ...

Starting my first shift in community geriatrics, I was unsure what to expect. Outside the familiar sterile walls of the hospital and without the reassurance of imaging, bloods and regular observations, I initially felt out of my depth. However, I quickly adapted: learning both clinical and non-clinical tips and tricks ...

I am a SpR in Geriatric and General Medicine in South East London and have spent 2 years on an OOPE with the West Kent Home Treatment Service.

My reflection on community Geriatrics

Having spent all my training in the hospital, 2 years in the community was very daunting to begin with, but I have learnt so much in this role, skills which I can transfer into my training role in the hospital. ...

I have been fortunate to work as a Specialist SAS Doctor in a Frailty Hospital at Home team for many years and have recently welcomed trainee Doctors into our team.  Integrating them into our team of SAS Doctors, Advance Clinical Practitioners, Therapists, Nurses and Pharmacists allowed me the chance to reflect on the challenges of adapting their current hospital-based training to this new model of care and the challenges and joys observed along the way. ...

I was quite apprehensive to start working in the community. As an internal medicine trainee, I was at home in my familiar surroundings of the hospital. Unsurprisingly, I learnt a great deal. No CT scanner, but I had my stethoscope and pretty much everything else I could need in the boot of the car. ...

Lead Pharmacist Ambulatory Care at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and HaH Society committee member, Sophie McGlen recently wrote a blog about the role of pharmacists in HaH and virtual wards.

Hospital at Home team members have a strange and magical mix of skills; they must focus on attention to detail and think creatively; lead confidently and share decision-making; use clinical skills accurately and act pragmatically to maximise a person’s function at home ...