We have developed a definition of housebound in collaboration with GPs and community teams to encourage people, who are able, to attend clinics for their routine appointments with the nurse (blood pressure checks, vaccinations, Asthma reviews etc) and to limit the use of home visits.
Our agreed definition of housebound guidelines aims to ensure that community nurses and GP clinical teams are providing routine clinical appointments in the home setting only when it is appropriate. It is acknowledged that an individual’s needs may change and therefore eligibility for a home visit should be reassessed on a regular basis.
A patient is deemed to be housebound when they are unable to leave their home environment through a physical or psychological illness. A patient is not considered housebound if he or she is able to leave their house with minimal assistance or support. For example: unassisted/assisted visit to the doctor, dentist, hairdresser, supermarket, social events or hospital outpatients. Some patients may not be housebound permanently but rather are housebound temporarily as a consequence of an episode of illness". Minimal assistance would be described as a person who can leave their own home and travel to a clinic appointment in a vehicle such as a personal car, taxi or public transport adapted for their use or not and with or without the use of a wheelchair either by themselves or with an escort. To avoid confusion any person who requires a specialist vehicle (Ambulance) or a two person escort would be regarded as housebound. To avoid further confusion a person will not be regarded as housebound because they do not personally have a companion to escort them to a clinical appointment.