An Introduction to Community and Primary Health Care

Home-based care has had a long tradition in Australia and New Zealand with care being provided in people’s homes for over 100 years. Over time, there have been significant changes to the overall goals and how services are delivered. Home-based care now takes many forms including the acute care program, Hospital in the Home and a range of chronic disease programs. Other home-based care programs provide personal care to older people living in their own homes. Not only is home-based care diverse but the setting in which it is delivered can be equally varied. Regardless of the care required and the environment in which it is delivered, home-based care is based on a person-centred philosophy that has the potential to deliver individualised and responsive care. The role is not without its challenges. Nurses who undertake home visits go into uncontrolled and sometimes confronting environments that may be less than optimal for the delivery of health care. This chapter covers the history of home-based nursing, the changing contexts of home-based care, home visiting and multidisciplinary practice.