Post-Hospital & Recovery Support at Home in Melbourne
Helping you back on your feet after hospital, surgery, illness or injury
After hospital care at home
- Helping you recover at home
Coming home after a hospital stay can feel like a big step.
For a while, the everyday things like showering, cooking, getting to appointments take more out of you than they used to. We provide short-term care at home throughout Melbourne so you can recover in your own space, at your own pace, with the right support around you.
Care at home after a hospital stay
If you’ve been in hospital for surgery, an illness or an injury, you may need some help at home for a while as you get your strength back.
That support might last a couple of weeks or a couple of months – however long your recovery takes. Post-surgery home care, temporary home care after an operation, and after-hospital care for older people are among the most common reasons people come to us.
We work alongside your hospital, your health service and your own health care providers so the care picks up smoothly from the day you’re discharged. This hospital-to-home support means you don’t have to organise it all yourself, and you don’t have to work out the funding on your own either.
What after-hospital care at home can include
Everyone comes home needing something a little different. We’ll shape the support around where you are in your recovery, and adjust it as you improve. Common supports include:
Personal care while you recover
Help with showering, dressing, grooming and moving around safely — the tasks that can be hardest in the first weeks after surgery or a hospital stay.
Help around the house
Domestic help with cleaning, laundry and keeping things tidy while you're not yet up to it, plus shopping and meal support so you're eating well as you recover.
Nursing care at home
Our registered nurses can manage wound care, dressings, medications, sutures and staples, and post-operative nursing needs, so you can heal at home rather than travelling back and forth.
Getting to appointments
Transport and support to follow-up appointments, rehab sessions and the GP, so staying on top of your recovery plan doesn't depend on family being free.
Overnight and 24-hour support
If you need reassurance through the night or hands-on help around the clock for a period, we can arrange 24-hour care for as long as you need it.
How your recovery care can be funded
There are more ways to pay for care after hospital than most people realise, and the right one depends on how you came to need it.
The Restorative Care Pathway (Support at Home)
If you're an older person who needs focused, short-term help to get back to doing things for yourself, the Restorative Care Pathway under Support at Home is designed for exactly that. We deliver care under this pathway — see our Restorative Care Pathway page for how it works and who it's for.
Post Acute Care and transition care after hospital
Many Victorian health services arrange short-term supports for patients leaving hospital, often through Post Acute Care (PAC) or transition care. We have a dedicated team that delivers care under these hospital programs across Melbourne, including personal care, domestic help, shopping and nursing. These supports usually run for several weeks while you find your feet, and if you go on to need ongoing care, we can continue supporting you through aged care or the NDIS.
Private funding
You can also pay privately. It's handy if you want to start straight away, or top up funded care with a little extra while you're getting back on your feet.
NDIS after a hospital stay
If you're an NDIS participant, your plan can cover the support you need coming out of hospital. We're a registered NDIS provider. See our information for NDIS participants for how we can help.
Not sure which of these applies to you? That's normal, and it's exactly the kind of thing our Care Advisors sort out every day. Give us a call and we'll talk it through.
Recovering after a transport accident (Registered TAC provider)
We’re a registered TAC provider, delivering personal care, shopping and nursing services to TAC clients. If you’ve been in a transport accident and have TAC approved services, we’re here to help you get back on track. You can ask the TAC to use Absolute Care & Health as your TAC service provider.
We also work with Victorian health services to deliver post acute care in Victoria for patients being discharged from hospital, so your recovery support is in place from the day you get home.
Recovering after a workplace injury (Registered WorkSafe provider)
We’re a registered WorkSafe (WorkCover) provider and can deliver a range of nursing services to WorkSafe clients as you recover from a work-related injury. Please note we’re not able to provide personal care assistance to WorkSafe clients at this time. Talk to us and we’ll let you know how we can help.
What recovery support costs
What you pay depends on how your care is funded. Care delivered through a hospital program, the Restorative Care Pathway, the Support at Home, the NDIS, the TAC or WorkSafe is covered by that funding.
So for many people there’s little or nothing to pay out of pocket. If you’d rather not wait for funding to be arranged, private care is charged at a simple hourly rate for the services you want.
Our team can walk you through the numbers for your situation and any program fees that might apply, with no obligation. See our funding options or get in touch.
Short-term care at home across Melbourne
We provide recovery and short-term care in your own home throughout Melbourne and Mornington Peninsula.
If your suburb isn’t listed, call us as we very likely cover it.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about after-hospital and recovery care
These are some of the most common questions, answered for you.
What is post-hospital care at home?
It’s short-term support in your own home after a hospital stay, so you can recover safely without staying in hospital or a facility longer than you need to. It can include personal care, nursing, help around the house, meals and transport to appointments, shaped around your recovery.
How do I arrange home care after a hospital discharge?
Often your hospital or health service will arrange short-term supports as part of your discharge, and we can be the provider who delivers them. You can also contact us directly. Either way, we work with your hospital and health care providers so the care is ready when you get home.
Do you provide temporary home care after surgery?
Yes. Temporary home care after surgery is one of the most common reasons people come to us, looking for help with personal care, wound care and dressings, getting around the house, and everyday tasks while you’re not yet back to full strength. It lasts as long as your recovery needs, then stops.
Can I get nursing care at home while I recover?
Yes. Our registered nurses provide wound care, dressings, medication support, sutures and staples, and other post-operative nursing at home, so you don’t have to travel back to hospital for routine care. See our nursing care page for more.
How long does recovery support last?
As long as you need it. Some people need a couple of weeks; others need a couple of months. Support can be increased or decreased as you recover, and if you find you need care for the longer term, we can move you smoothly onto ongoing aged care or NDIS support.
Do you provide care for TAC and WorkSafe clients?
Yes. We’re a registered TAC provider for personal care, shopping and nursing, and a registered WorkSafe (WorkCover) provider for nursing services. If you’ve been injured in a transport accident or at work, talk to us about how we can support your recovery at home.
Do you help people leaving hospital who are elderly?
Yes. After-hospital care for older people is a large part of what we do. We help you recover at home and, where it’s helpful, connect your short-term support to ongoing in-home aged care so there’s no gap in your care.
Which parts of Melbourne do you cover?
We provide short-term and recovery care across Melbourne, including the inner east, western suburbs, northern suburbs, bayside and south-eastern suburbs, and the Mornington Peninsula. Call us on 1300 030 032 to check your area.
Find out more about recovery support
Download our information pack for more information about our recovery support. Our information pack has everything new referrers, care brokers and partner organisations need to get started.
What our clients say about us
- Anuj, Coburg
It's your life. Live it, love it, own it.
By making sure we absolutely understand your goals, your needs and your situation, we deliver great customer experiences, creating and celebrating positive outcomes every day.
