Vhi introduces ‘Well@Home’ service to support the healthcare needs of customers who are advised to ‘cocoon’
Clinical Digital Services further extended to include physiotherapy, speech and language therapy and access to a dietician
Vhi SwiftCare and Vhi Paediatric Clinic remain fully operational with Vhi advising customers to make an appointment instead of worrying unnecessarily at home
14th May, 2020 - Vhi today announced the launch of a new service, Well@Home, that has been developed specifically to meet the needs of those who have been advised to ‘cocoon’ during the current public health crisis. Well@Home offers customers with a personalised general wellbeing check-up together with a comprehensive range of clinical supports to customers from the comfort of their own home.
Developed by Vhi’s team of medical experts, the service provides customers with the opportunity to arrange a general wellbeing check up with a Vhi nurse who can provide advice on sleep, diet and exercise and if required can arrange for a clinician to follow up for any medical requirements. Support services such as NurseLine 24/7, Online GP and teleconsultations with Vhi SwiftCare nurses and doctors are available through the programme.
Customers can also be referred to Hospital@Home, if relevant and appropriate and in addition, delivery of medications by Vhi’s Hospital@Home team can also be arranged for customers in Dublin and Galway City.
The service also aims to address anxiety and other mental health issues facing people during these difficult days and a 24/7 mental health support line is a key service that Vhi is making available with six consultation sessions available to anyone who needs to avail of it.
This new service Well@Home has been very well received during an initial pilot phase, and is currently available to all customers who have been advised to cocoon and stay at home as much as possible.
Dr David Morris, Head of Wellness at Vhi explained the motivation for developing the new service: “While the COVID-19 pandemic is presenting obvious public health challenges, we are also aware of the growing range of secondary health issues and mental health concerns that are emerging in homes across the country. Many of these can be addressed in a pre-emptive way by offering a telephone or online consultation. People are experiencing issues with sleep, finding it difficult to exercise while staying within the confines of their home and are also struggling with diet and nutrition without the freedom of popping to the shops. These issues can often be addressed with the provision of some simple supports.”
He added, “We are also finding that after a consultation with a Vhi Nurse or with a physiotherapist, a clinical determination can be made as to whether treatment is needed now, or can be delayed.
Well@Home is just one of a growing range of health and wellbeing offerings from Vhi that can be accessed remotely. A number of new digital clinical services have been launched this week and are available to all Vhi customers at no additional cost. These include physiotherapy, access to a dietician and speech and language therapy. For physiotherapy, a video consultation can be scheduled from the comfort of a person’s home with a personalised exercise programme developed based on clinical need. Similarly, a video or phone consultation with a dietician will be organised to provide tailored advice on nutrition and a full range of speech and language therapy services are also available by phone or video.
Dr David Morris from Vhi concluded: “In addition to our Well@Home service and the new digital services we also want to remind all of our customers that a number of our clinical services remain fully operational. If they, or a family member or child, feel unwell or have a medical concern they should not worry silently. Our Vhi SwiftCare Clinics are fully operational as well as our Vhi Paediatric service so just give them a call and make an appointment to put your mind at ease.”
The recently launched Digital Health Services can be accessed on the Vhi.ie website www.vhi.ie/digitalhealthservices
Customers who would like to make an appointment with Vhi SwiftCare or with the Vhi Paediatric service can simply call 1890 866 966. No referral is required.
ENDS
Vhi_Press
14-May-2020