GV Health Discharge Planning / Going Home

Before you go home, staff will discuss your individual needs in order to make the transition home.  We encourage patients and their families to participate in their going home planning as early as possible to ensure all needs are known. The going home plan may include services from a range of programs including Allied Health, Hospital in the Home, District Nursing and/or Post-Acute Care.

Patients are discharged from the hospital with

• Medication prescriptions & information about them (medication advice) 
• A copy of their discharge summary (this is also sent to their GP within 24 hours of the patient's discharge)
• Follow up appointment(s) information with specialists and GPs
• Relevant health information such as wound care precautions, diabetes management and/or other health condition education information 

If you are staying overnight in the hospital your discharge time will be between 10.00am -11.00am, unless other arrangementments have been made by your treating doctor.   If you are unable to arrange transportation home with family or friends at this time you will be required to wait in the Medical Day Unit Discharge Lounge.    

Allied Health    

Goulburn Valley Health's Allied Service provides a wide range of treatment and diagnostic services to both inpatients and outpatients who require health care, support and specialist skills within the community.  Services provided include:

• Physiotherapy
• Occupational Therapy
• Dietics & Nutrition
• Speech Pathology
• Social Work

Hospital In The Home

"Hospital In The Home" has been established to allow some patients to have hospital treatment in their own home.  In certain circumstances, when your condition has been diagnosed and is stable, and your home situation is appropriate, you may be able to receive treatment such as intravenous medications at home.  

District Nursing Service

GVHealth District Nursing Service provides professional, individualised  service, which aims to improve the health status and maximise the independence of clients and their carers.  This is acheived through the assessment, planning and provision of nursing care that meets the needs of clients.  This may include:

• Specialist wound care
• Diabetes management and education
• Medication education, support and management
• Continence care/colostomy management
• Assessment for other Home and Community Care (HACC) services
• Client and carer support
• Hospital In the Home (HITH) services

Post-Acute Care

This program aims to improve care coordination for those patients who pass through the transistion from an acute public hospital, to discharge and during a short term recuperation period once at home.  The program supports people who are "at risk" of an unplanned re-admission following discharge by providing the necessary care coordination and services in the patients home.  For more information on this program please visit the Victorian DHS Post Accute Care website.  

The Medical Day Unit Discharge Lounge 

The Medical Day Unit Discharge Lounge is located in   Building B Level 1. 
The Medical Day Unit Discharge Lounge is a waiting area situated within our medical ward for patients who are awaiting discharge.  The lounge is managed by a Division 1 Registered Nurse, who will continue your hospital care for administration of your medications until you are officially discharged from the hospital.