Most people find hospitals strange and stressful environments, but are willing to put up with that if hospital will cure them. Therefore, if there is little chance that hospital intervention will help someone, there can be real advantages to staying at home, cared for by their usual GP and local community team, with medicines to help keep them comfortable.
At home, you are surrounded by your own stuff - familiar music, photos and personal objects that can improve your quality of life when you're feeling unwell.
Visiting is extremely restricted in hospital, so it is much easier to have social contact with the people you care about (even if at a distance) when you're at home.
You have more control over what and when you eat when you're at home. And perhaps there are neighbours or local community support groups that can help with practical matters such as collecting prescriptions or cooking meals.
People often feel more at ease in their own surroundings, and this can have an effect on symptoms, for example by reducing confusion and anxiety. Most people will recover from COVID-19, but in the sad cases when someone's health continues to deteriorate and they are approaching the end of life, home is where many people would rather be. Many people feel more peaceful at home, with fewer distractions, where it is easier to focus on the things that are most important to them.
Photo by Nick Hillier on Unsplash
