Hospital to Home Program

Comprehensive Support for Families After Loss

The Hospital to Home Program offers vital, tailored support to bereaved parents and their family as they transition from the hospital to home after the death of a baby or child. Available across Australia, this program is designed to provide emotional, practical, and mental health support during the early stages of grief, helping parents navigate the overwhelming process of leaving the hospital without their child.

As a healthcare professional, you may work with families who are struggling with the complexities of grief following the loss of a baby due to stillbirth, sudden infant death, or neonatal death. The Hospital to Home Program is a compassionate service that eases the transition by offering practical assistance, mental health support, and connections to community resources. This unique program is a world-first in its design and delivery, focusing on supporting parents in the critical early months of grief.

How the Hospital to Home Program Can Help

• Mental Health Support: The program connects families with mental health professionals who specialise in grief counselling and provide ongoing support. This ensures parents receive the emotional care they need to navigate their grief during the critical early phases after the loss.
• Practical Support for Daily Life: The program provides practical help with activities that may seem overwhelming during grief. This includes assistance with hospital discharge processes, accompanying parents to medical appointments, helping with the registration of birth and death paperwork, and re-integrating parents back into their daily activities and employment. By offering this support, the program helps reduce the logistical and emotional burden families face during this difficult time.
• Memory-Making and Funeral Arrangements: The Hospital to Home Program also supports families with memory-making activities, helping them preserve precious moments with their baby. Additionally, it provides assistance with funeral arrangements, including choosing burial clothing and organising caskets, through the Treasured Babies Program.
• Tailored, Family-Centered Support: Recognising that every family’s journey is unique, the program is tailored to the specific needs and wishes of each family. Whether it’s practical help or emotional guidance, the support is provided in a way that aligns with the family’s personal situation and grief needs.
• Post-Discharge Care: The program continues for up to three months after the death of a baby. During this time, bereaved parents and family/whānau members receive continuous support, ensuring that they are not alone during the early, challenging stages of grief.
• Evaluation and Impact: Evaluation of the Hospital to Home Program shows that it has made a meaningful difference to bereaved parents, with high levels of satisfaction reported. Families who have participated in the program report significant improvements in their wellbeing, which is often severely impacted after the loss of a child. The program helps combat isolation and psychological distress, which are common in the early days following the loss of a baby.

How to Refer a Family to the Hospital to Home Program

If you are working with a family who could benefit from the Hospital to Home Program, we encourage you to refer them for this personalised support. Families can be referred directly or may self-refer to the program.

We understand that each family’s needs are different, so our team will work with you to ensure that the support provided is as helpful and relevant as possible for the grieving parents.