MEDICAL RESPITE CARE: A NECESSARY COMPONENT OF HEALTH PROMOTION FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS

Abstract

Adjusting from an inpatient hospital stay to recovery upon discharge is an important transition, especially for people experiencing homelessness. Medical respite programs provide housing and ongoing acute medical care for those who meet the criteria for hospital discharge but cannot recover safely without stable housing. Medical respite care is becoming more common and has great potential to address social determinants of health for people experiencing homelessness. In addition, it can improve cost-effective healthcare by reducing hospital readmissions and shortening inpatient stays. Medical respite programs are within a larger movement to provide equitable care for people experiencing homelessness that is free of stigmatization. They vary across facilities by eligibility criteria, illnesses treated, and scope of services provided. This review examines recent literature on medical respite care for people experiencing homeless to understand the state of medical respite, rationale for medical respite, and findings related to its implementation.