"Fresno Medical Respite Center will provide care for homeless patients for up to six weeks"

"Nationally the average hospital stay for homeless people is about 41/2 days longer than for other patients who have other options for recuperative care..."

If you've ever worked with those experiencing homelessness, chances are you've had a client (more likely clients) who has been released from a hospital stay far too early to be considered substantially "recovered."

Heparin Lock on patient

If the outreach specialist or case manager has any length of time in the position under their belts, they've undoubtedly seen people released in wheelchairs, with nasty suppurating wounds, with heplocks, catheter tubes, and a host of other things you're frankly shocked to see on someone outside of a hospital, let alone on someone who has no way to effectively manage, care for or even keep clean the area affected.  


Folks may recall when I posted the story about Earl, who was discharged from the VA with a bag of catheters with instructions to catheterize himself when he could no longer tolerate the pressure in his bladder.  Earl was at the time living under a bridge, and I videotaped him cathing himself at one of our local day shelters here in Nashville (you can see that video by scrolling to the very end of this page). I don't care who you are or what you've experienced in your life, the thought of having to stick a tube up your urethra under some filthy viaduct in some major metropolitan area is not going to be anywhere on your list of acceptable things a human can do for self-care.


It's thrilling to see Fresno has been able to accomplish this because I know all too well that there is a tremendous demand.  You can substitute "Anycity" USA for Fresno and that same demand is going to remain high and constant.


The big question here that should be on everyone's mind, especially at this point in our nation's history where Republicans have suddenly taken a keen (partisan?) interest in reconciling our national debt is how they are paying for it and whether this is a model that can be applied elsewhere successfully.


It's a "high importance" need for those experiencing homelessness and it doesn't come cheap.  Understanding how to pay for it is the first step in opening one in your own city...



Fresno homeless to get respite care
    Fresno center gives care for six weeks.
            Posted at 09:57 PM on Wednesday, Jul. 06, 2011
     
            By Eddie Jimenez / The Fresno Bee


Homeless people in Fresno now have a place to recuperate after a hospital stay.The Fresno Medical Respite Center will provide care for homeless patients for up to six weeks, saving hospital costs, officials said at a news conference Wednesday.The center will operate in two locations, with eight beds for men at the Fresno Rescue Mission in downtown and two beds for women at the Mental Health System's Hacienda Facility west of Highway 99.Homeless people often do not have a place to heal after being hospitalized, officials said.


"This will provide that opportunity and we're proud of that," said Jeff Collins, vice president and area manager for Kaiser Permanente.

JOHN WALKER / THE FRESNO BEE

Larry Arce, CEO of Fresno Rescue Mission, shows the Fresno Medical Respite Center, which will have beds for homeless individuals to recover after being discharged from the hospital.

The facilities are a joint venture of the Kaiser, Saint Agnes Medical Center, Community Medical Centers, Clinica Sierra Vista, the Marjaree Mason Center and the Hospital Council of Northern and Central California.

The center, which is expected to open by the middle part of next week, will serve 200 to 300 patients a year, said Lynne Ashbeck, regional vice president of the hospital council.

Nationally the average hospital stay for homeless people is about 41/2 days longer than for other patients who have other options for recuperative care, she said.

The respite center will free hospital beds and provide temporary shelter to convalescing homeless at one-fourth to half the cost of remaining in a hospital, authorities said.

"Our community is a better place today because of this resource," Ashbeck said.Kaiser Permanente gave a $100,000 planning grant and an additional $50,000 to cover the center's first year of operations. Kaiser, Saint Agnes and Community will share ongoing operational expenses, which will be $150,000 to $200,000 a year.

Center patients, who must be ambulatory, will receive daily nursing visits and information on medical care, social services and housing.

The center is the fulfillment of a dream, said Larry Arce, chief executive officer of the Fresno Rescue Mission."We all knew there was a need," he said. "It was all in God's timing and we were able to put it together."

The reporter can be reached at ejimenez@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6386.