Patient Relations
Nada Ibrahim, daughter of 97-year-old Ibrahim Abdelaziz Saad, describes how the new Hospital at Home service from Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare is helping her father to live at home in comfort.
Ibrahim Abdelaziz Saad, 97, had been admitted to hospital several times because of problems with his kidneys, heart, and lungs. He, his daughter Nada, and clinicians at Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare (JHAH) decided to prioritize Ibrahim’s comfort rather than attempt to prolong his life with further treatment.
Ibrahim was admitted into JHAH’s new Hospital at Home service, which provides hospital-quality care in the homes of patients in the Eastern Province who meet certain eligibility criteria. Hospital at Home offers a suite of care services, including 24/7 remote monitoring tools, in-home infusions, and regular in-person and telehealth visits by clinicians. It also allows family members to manage their loved one’s medication and provide other low-level care.
Upon joining Hospital at Home, Nada and her father received a kit containing a blood pressure monitor, thermometer, oxygen monitor, and a direct telephone line to contact the medical team.
One time, his blood pressure dropped, and I panicked — but having 24/7 access to the medical team gave me peace of mind,” Nada says. “Instead of rushing to the hospital, I could call for immediate assistance and get the help we needed.
After a JHAH clinician visited Ibrahim’s home to conduct lab tests, he was prescribed a drug that helps clean the blood of patients with kidney disease. Nada says the medication has helped her father “significantly.”
She says that previously, her father was unable to stand up straight “for even one minute” and could not straighten his back. Through the Hospital at Home service, Ibrahim was referred to a physical therapist.
“They provide exercises I never imagined my father would be able to do,” Nada says.
I continue these exercises with him and his improvement has been dramatic. Now my father can walk with a walker while keeping his back straight.
Nada says “it feels like a miracle” because her father was previously “unable to move his hands or legs the way he can now.”
The introduction of JHAH’s Hospital at Home service comes after the resounding success of a pilot scheme that began in April 2024. The pilot generated an overall 93% patient satisfaction score, far higher than anticipated.
Several studies have shown that hospital at home schemes can cut readmissions and improve patient experiences compared with traditional hospital care. Research published in 2023 by The Journal of the American Medical Association found “substantial acceptability of hospital at home” among more than 1,000 survey respondents, who “agreed that hospital at home was effective, safe, and convenient.”
JHAH’s Hospital at Home service is available to patients aged 14 and over who meet specific clinical and location criteria. This service is available to patients who have been admitted to JHAH’s hospital in Dhahran and are clinically ready to leave the hospital early, or to those who require admission but can safely receive care outside the hospital. It is also available to eligible patients who enter the Emergency Department.
“We want to transition patients to the right setting to help them get better,” Dr. Mahamadu Maida, chief of hospital medicine and internal medicine consultant at JHAH, says. “If they prefer to be in the hospital, we will ensure they stay in the hospital.
“Our clinicians carry out most procedures on patients who are at home. But some patients want to learn how to care for themselves. So, we might teach them how to do their own injections, if that’s what they want. If not, then they can continue to have injections done by clinicians — it’s all about patient choice.”
As for Nada, she says her father has “greatly benefited” from being able to live in the comfort of his own home: “Thanks to Hospital at Home, we are able to live in peace.”
Note: The image used in this article does not depict Mr. Ibrahim Abdelaziz Saad.