The Cottage

The Cottage is a home like environment where Hospital in the Home (HITH) services are provided to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The aim of HITH is to provide hospital like care to patients at home as an alternative to staying in hospital. At the Cottage, HITH services are provided by St Vincent’s At Home. The Cottage is a small terrace house with 6 beds. It is located opposite St Vincent’s Hospital.

About Us

The cottage provides short-term holistic care in a supportive residential environment for people experiencing homelessness. The Cottage aims to:

  • Improve the health status of the person experiencing homelessness
  • Provide holistic care, by addressing both the health and social needs of the patient
  • Reduce the need for admission to hospital and/or reduce the length of hospital stay     
  • Coordinate and refer patients to appropriate health, housing and community care services 

Our Services

The Cottage service includes:

  • On call 24 hour nursing care by St Vincent’s At Home (HITH)
  • Education and assistance with medication and treatment regimes with consideration of education level, literacy skills and/or cognitive difficulties
  • Provision of intravenous antibiotics or anti-coagulant therapies
  • Diabetic education and care
  • Pre and post operative care
  • Preparation for radiological procedures
  • Medical review by hospital medical staff or General Practitioner·  Allied Health service provision. These may include: Dietetics, Drug and Alcohol workers, Mental Health Worker, Physiotherapy and Speech Pathology
  • The Cottage is staffed 24 hours, 365 days a year including public holidays. Care, provision of meals and assistance in completing activities of daily living (ADLs) is provided by personal carers, hospital medical staff and St. Vincent's At Home nursing staff

Referral Information

Direct Referrals to:

  • The Cottage Intake - Tel (03) 9231 2211 and ask for pager 240