This past week, I had the honour and privilege to do a Home Visit for an Elder patient in my practice and her family in community. She was becoming more confused at home and required an assessment and review. I was also able to visit with her daughter and grand daughter (patients in the practice) at the same time! One can always gets so much meaningful and helpful information when you visit someone at home in terms of their Activities of Daily Liviing (ADL), housing situation, food security and even social supports (which includes quality of life).
It is also a great time to check in and strengthen the relationships you have with the rest of the family (remember that Family Doctors help families! see blog post Family Doctors = GP who specializes in family). I am honoured that I take care of 3 generations of this family.
During this global pandemic, we were able to keep my patient safe from COVID-19 with regards to practicing safe precautions with my visit (masking and good hand hygiene) and in the end sending her to a local lab for some much needed blood testing to help make a diagnosis and then prescribe the appropriate treatment without “an escalation in care.”
Unfortunately, many times for people who do not have relational continuity with a Family Doctor and therefore do not get timely access to health and care at home in community (because of frailty and reduction in mobility, they are unable to visit the Doctor at the office). Without the early help, symptoms can escalate and then Emergency Health Services (EHS) must be called with a trip to Emergency and sometimes admission to hospital which many times could have been been avoided (with early interventions).
This is a great TED talk on how the home can be the best place to heal:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zamvnyBB-SU
The future is bright for relational Family Medicine!
Blue Sky Family Medicine 
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