What is Domiciliary Hospitalisation?
Domiciliary hospitalisation is a situation where an individual is considered hospitalised while getting treatment at home due to certain reasons. It happens in a particular health condition where the patient shouldn’t relocate to the hospital. Such diseases include paralysis, major leg injuries, bones relocate, and many more. Such domiciliary hospitalisation is a benefit that is added to health insurance or group medical insurance.
Not all insurance plans cover domiciliary hospitalisation. Some expenses like pre-and post-hospitalisation are not covered under domiciliary hospitalisation.
There are some conditions applied under employee insurance plans for availing benefit of domiciliary hospitalisation such as patients suffering from a serious disease where hospitalisation is advisable by a doctor. The patient’s group health insurance policy must be active and the duration of treatment is more than 3 days and so on.
Advantages of Domiciliary Hospitalisation
There are many advantages of domiciliary hospitalisation that employees can get with group insurance, and avail these benefits at the time of emergency.
- Personalised medical service ?
Under this, a patient gets proper medical service at home. There are many patients in the hospital, so a patient cannot get the proper attention of a doctor. By domiciliary hospitalisation, a patient gets all treatment at home with a personalised doctor and nurse.
- Familiar atmosphere
The atmosphere is highly affecting the health of the patient. If a patient gets a good and familiar atmosphere, they will recover soon. Under domiciliary hospitalisation, patients receive medical services in the familiar atmosphere at home.
- Timely treatment
All the services of medical treatment are received by patients timely at home with the proper attention of nurses and doctors. Timely treatment will prevent the health of the patient from deteriorating further. Domiciliary hospitalisation also covers the benefit of giving timely medical services.
- Hygiene food?
Due to some serious injury, the patient is domiciliary hospitalised and also gets hygienic food from home. A portion of home food is prepared as per the instructions given by the doctor or under proper safety and hygiene measures. The patients also save themselves from eating tasteless food in hospitals. A portion of good food makes for better health.
- Beneficial in uncertain situations
In some cases, hospitals are fully rushed with patients and others do not get a proper bed and individual treatment rooms. Under such cases, domiciliary hospitalisation is preferred and the only option left. It is also beneficial in some uncertain situations.
- Fewer chances of infection
Some diseases spread very quickly and are harmful. If a patient gets the treatment at home, there are fewer chances of infection and will recover sooner. Domiciliary hospitalisation is also valuable in the case of infectious diseases.
Disadvantages of Domiciliary Hospitalisation
- Not given under all diseases
Domiciliary hospitalisation is conditional and only given when a patient is suffering from some serious disease, ailment, and injury. Diseases that are not covered under domiciliary hospitalisation are asthma, bronchitis, cough, cold, diabetes mellitus, pyrexia of unknown origin, chronic nephritis, diarrhoea, hypertension, and many more.
- Not every health insurance plan covers it
Some companies offer domiciliary hospitalisation benefits in their regular group medical healthcare plan. But not every policy provides the facility of domiciliary hospitalisation. Some insurers may cover only up to a specific amount of limit.
- Less medical intervention
Less medical intervention is received by a patient at home. Non-stickiness sometimes results in no changes in the health condition of the patient. At home, a doctor cannot freely treat the patient due to their family members and this may take more time in recovering.
- Disturbance to family members
Under domiciliary hospitalisation, a patient is getting all the treatment at home, which might create disturbance to other family members. Sometimes, it is not a suitable method of treatment. Some family members get disturbed by the sound of machines, the smell of medicines, visiting doctors, and so on. Also, either of the family members is required to be available for the patient for the entire day.
- Expensive?
Doctors and nurses charge more for additional care and their time. Domiciliary treatment becomes expensive in some cases where a patient requires full-time service, which is given by the doctor for additional charges.
Conclusion
The facility or benefit of domiciliary hospitalisation is conditional. It is a facility where patients get treatment within the comfort of their homes. It is a beneficial feature and people must consider it before selecting a group mediclaim. Such service may become valuable in an emergency because the future is uncertain. Domiciliary treatment covers serious diseases where hospitalisation is impossible for the patient.
For the elder members of the family, make sure to choose a plan with the benefit of domiciliary hospitalisation. The benefit of domiciliary hospitalisation is also availed in the case of the non-accommodation facility in the hospital. Domiciliary hospitalisation has its pros and cons, which are explained in detail above.