Information

How hospital at home could benefit people affected by dementia

Virtual wards – also known as ‘hospital at home’ – allow people to receive hospital-level treatment in the comfort of their own home across England. 

This could allow some patients to return home sooner after a hospital stay or avoid admission altogether. 

Virtual wards may have benefits for people with dementia, though they may not be suitable in all cases and more research is needed. 

Virtual wards allow people who’d otherwise be in hospital to get treatment at home, safely and conveniently. 

Also known as hospital at home, virtual wards are for people with ‘acute’ care needs – requiring short-term treatment for severe or urgent conditions. 

They are available across England, including for people living with frailty, acute respiratory infection or heart failure. 

Patients receive hospital-level treatment in their own home or care home.

This can avoid hospital admission altogether, or mean they can return home sooner after a hospital stay.

Daily contact 

When on a virtual ward, you’ll have daily contact with a clinician through phone and video calls or home visits.

You could also be given a kit that allows you to be monitored remotely.

For example, you might have a device to wear that measures things like your heart rate, blood pressure and temperature.

This can alert a clinician if these become too high or too low. 

You can have other tests and treatments at home on the virtual ward too, such as blood tests and intravenous fluids.

Your own bed

Hospital can be a confusing and frightening place for any patient, but that’s especially true if you have dementia. 

Being able to sleep in your own bed, be with family, friends and pets, and eat what you choose is certainly preferable.

More research is needed to see exactly how virtual wards affect a person’s recovery, but they might help speed this up too. 

Michele Richardson, Health and Social Care Partnerships Manager at Alzheimer’s Society, says, ‘Virtual wards can be beneficial for people with dementia and carers.’

Although a virtual ward won’t be possible with every type of treatment you’d normally receive in hospital, Michele says, ‘Speak to your healthcare professional to ask if this option is available to you, should the circumstance arise.’

Safe and convenient 

Each virtual ward is led by a senior clinician and patients have access to specialist advice, just as if they were in hospital. 

‘Virtual wards are about providing personalised care,’ says Charlotte Lynch, Strategy and Policy Lead for virtual wards at NHS England. 

It’s the same quality that you would receive in hospital, but you’re just able to receive it in your own home.

Reassurance

Ruth Chauhan, who has dementia, had a positive experience as a virtual ward patient at her home in the West Midlands. 

On Christmas Day 2021, Ruth felt unwell and tested positive for Covid. Having other long-term health conditions as well as Covid could have meant going into hospital. 

However, she was offered hospital treatment and monitoring in the comfort of her own home instead. 

‘At the time, virtual wards were quite new in my area,’ she says, ‘They explained that I would have to send some results in, so I checked my pulse, oxygen saturations and temperature. I then texted these to them three times a day. 

They would look at the test results as they came in and, if they were concerned at all, they would give me a telephone call.

Ruth remained on the virtual ward until she felt better. ‘It was a good experience,’ she says.

I think it was just the reassurance that there was somebody actually looking at my test results and saying, “Yes, you’re okay to remain at home.”

Person-centred 

Ruth thinks virtual wards could help people affected by dementia to receive more person-centred care – something she believes was lacking during her time as a nurse. 

‘I was a nurse for more than 48 years, working in both hospitals and in the community,’ says Ruth. ‘Sadly, I often witnessed patients being cared for in a disrespectful and undignified way. 

‘This was particularly the case for people who had been admitted with dementia. 

On a virtual ward, they’re able to stay in a familiar environment with people who they know and who understand them best. 

‘I think this reduces the risk of distress and confusion and delirium, which are often present when someone with dementia is admitted to hospital. 

‘This also increases the chance of somebody being able to maintain the same level of ability and mobility.’

Virtual wards may not be suitable if health problems can’t be managed at home, or if carers don’t feel able to take on the responsibility of something asked of them to support the person.

The decision has to be made with the involvement of carers and, if they’re able, the person living with dementia.