Medical Respite

What is Medical Respite Care?

Medical respite care 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 who 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 care is offered in a variety of settings including freestanding facilities, homeless shelters, nursing homes, and transitional housing.

What’s New

Submit a Letter of Interest to Partner with the National HCH Council – Deadline December 15

The National Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) Council is seeking partnerships with medical respite programs to participate in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Health Care Innovation Challenge. We expect to submit a grant application to implement a standardized medical respite service delivery and payment model that we hope will spur federal interest and ongoing support. If your agency is interested in partnering with the National HCH Council as a demonstration site, please read through the informational letter and submit a letter of interest by Thursday, December 15, 2011. The letter of interest is not binding and does not commit your agency to this initiative; it simply lets us know that your agency is seriously interested in participating.

Medicaid Reimbursement for Medical Respite Services

States have significant flexibility to implement models of care that will improve health outcomes and minimize costs. This analysis describes medical respite care as an innovative model of care that reduces hospitalizations, and details state policy options for receiving federal Medicaid funding to support this service.

Clinical Recommendations for the Medical Respite Setting

Medical respite programs provide a unique clinical service for people who have already received medical treatment but continue to need health care oversight and some clinical intervention. The National HCH Council highlights the unique clinical work being offered in medical respite settings in this new publication.

Watch A Short Documentary On Medical Respite Care

Filmed by documentarian, John Baynard of the World Witness Project, this short video describes medical respite care from the perspective of consumers, health care for the homeless clinicians, and a physician from a hospital emergency department. Providers and advocates are encouraged to share the video with potential funders, partners, and policymakers. DVD copies of the video are available upon request.