Medical respite care
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Medical respite care, also referred to as recuperative care,[1][2][3][4] is acute and post-acute medical care for homeless persons who are too ill or frail to recover from a physical illness or injury on the streets but are not ill enough to be in a hospital.
Unlike “respite” for caregivers, “medical respite” is short-term residential care that allows homeless individuals the opportunity to rest in a safe environment while accessing medical care and other supportive services. Medical respite programs provide hospitals with an alternative to discharging homeless patients to the streets or to unequipped shelters when patients would otherwise be discharged to their homes for self-care and recuperation.[5] In addition to providing post-acute care and clinical oversight, medical respite programs seek to improve transitional care for this population and end the cycle of homelessness by supporting patients in access benefits and housing.
As of 2014, over 70 medical respite programs have been established across the United States and a number are in development. Medical respite programs are housed in a number of different facility types including homeless shelters, motel rooms, nursing facilities, assisted living facilities and stand-alone facilities.[6] The largest facility is based out of Boston, Massachusetts (United States), called the Barbara McIinnis House, which has 104 beds for men and women in need of a safe place to recuperate after leaving a hospital.[7] The national average length of stay in medical respite programs is 40 days (30 days median).[8]
Studies and discussion about medical respite care include works on an individual[9] and program[10] level. A study out of Chicago looking at the impact of medical respite care on future hospitalizations found that patients who accessed medical respite care required fewer hospital stays (3.7 vs. 8.3 days) in the 12-months after program participation than those discharged from the hospital to the street or shelter.[11] Another study out of Boston found similar results with homeless patients requiring 50% fewer hospital readmissions in the 90-days following medical respite program participation than those released to their own care (the street or shelter).[12] Medical respite care has been discussed in the American Medical New Ethics Forum.[13][14]
References
[edit]- ^ "Recuperative Care: Better Care at Lower Costs". Community Solutions. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ^ "Recuperative Care". Kent County Council. Archived from the original on 2 September 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ^ "Recuperative Care Center". National Health Foundation. Archived from the original on 18 June 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ^ "Illumination Foundation Recuperative Care Center". Charlenegp. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ^ "National Health Care for the Homeless Council". Retrieved 8 January 2014.
- ^ "Medical Respite Programs in the United States and Canada". National Health Care for the Homeless Council. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ^ "Boston Health Care for the Homeless: Specialized Services". Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-01-20. Retrieved 2015-01-20.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Homeless Health Care Case Report" (PDF). National Health Care for the Homeless Council Clinicians Network. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
- ^ "Clinical Recommendations for the Medical Respite Setting" (PDF). National Health Care for the Homeless Council. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
- ^ Buchanan D, Doblin B, Sai T, Garcia P (2006). "The effects of respite care for homeless patients: a cohort study". Am J Public Health. 96 (7): 1278–81. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2005.067850. PMC 1483848. PMID 16735635.
- ^ Kertesz SG, Posner MA, O'Connell JJ, Swain S, Mullins AN, Shwartz M, Ash AS (2009). "Post-hospital medical respite care and hospital readmission of homeless persons". J Prev Interv Community. 37 (2): 129–42. doi:10.1080/10852350902735734. PMC 2702998. PMID 19363773.
- ^ "Treating the Homeless can go beyond medical care". American Medical News. 2 March 2009. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ^ "Medical Respite Media Archive". National Health Care for the Homeless. Retrieved 13 January 2014.