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Hospital to Home service

The Hospital to Home service (formerly the Housing Brokerage service) is designed to:

  • Support the discharge of people with disability from hospital to housing that aligns with their needs and preferences
  • Prevent young people with disability being discharged to aged care
  • Assist health teams and supporters to understand the types of housing available, and the eligibility and evidence requirements 
  • Provide an evidence base to inform the development of policy and new housing options

The service adopts a rights-based approach that incorporates principles of choice, control and inclusion for people with disability.

For Victoria (Pathways to Home program)

The Summer Foundation is working with the Victorian Department of Health on the Pathways to Home Program, a transitional care program for people with disability who no longer have a medical need to be in hospital and who are facing housing related barriers to timely discharge. 

View eligibility for referral

To be eligible for referral under this program a person must:

  • Be an admitted patient in a Victorian public hospital participating in the program
  • Not be receiving inpatient mental health services as the primary reason for admission
  • Be aged between 18 and 65 and medically ready for discharge
  • Be an NDIS participant or likely to be eligible for the NDIS 
  • Have been assessed as appropriate for transition care by the health team

Referrals under the Pathways to Home program can only be made by a representative of the hospital or health service, using this referral form. 

How does the Hospital to Home Service work?

The Hospital to Home service provides support by:

  • Facilitating a discussion with the person’s health team, their support coordinator, formal guardian (if appointed), and other relevant stakeholders
  • Articulating the person’s housing needs and preferences and their support needs
  • Creating a Tenant Summary Profile, which can be used in a search for housing
  • Working with health teams to gather evidence to support favourable and timely NDIA decisions on funding applications, including reviewing and providing advice on supporting documentation
  • Completing an innovative housing search for potential interim and/or long-term housing options, based on the person’s housing needs and preferences
  • Presenting suitable housing options to the person, their health team and supports

If you have any questions about the Hospital to Home Service or you are unsure whether a patient is eligible for referral, please call us on 1300 817 794 or email us at hospitaltohome@summerfoundation.org.au.

The Summer Foundation acknowledges the support of the Victorian Government, the William Buckland Foundation and the W.C.F Thomas Trust, managed by Equity Trustees.

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