With the outbreak of COVID-19 in the early months of 2020, and with its waves and surges throughout the year, California communities have quickly responded to the unique needs of people experiencing homelessness in order to provide safe places where they can isolate, quarantine, and protect themselves from infection; await test results; recover from the disease; and access medical care and other supportive services. These medical respite/recuperative care programs provide acute and postacute care for unstably-housed patients who are ready for hospital discharge but are too frail or too ill to recover on the streets or in shelters. Not only do medical respite/recuperative care programs provide individuals experiencing homelessness with a safe place to convalesce, they also reduce the burden on hospitals by providing a safe discharge venue for unstably-housed patients at a lower cost. Additionally, other social services and resources can be accessed while also ensuring there are linkages to the local homeless continuum of care to assist with placement post-services. Care may be offered in settings including freestanding facilities, homeless shelters, motels, nursing homes, and transitional housing programs. Financial support for medical respite/recuperative care programs is provided by a variety of sources including hospitals, public grants, private donations, Medicaid, and investments by managed care organizations.
Capacity-Building for Medical Respite Care Programs in California in Response to COVID-19: Four Case Studies
Categories:
Medical Respite, Medical Respite Care, Policy and Advocacy, Policy Issues