Discharging homeless patients on the street used to be the norm for most hospitals, according to The Dallas Morning News. In fact, two Dallas hospitals were recently cited by federal regulators for discharging homeless patients and placing them in "immediate jeopardy," according to the report.
Homeless patients are more likely to be readmitted to safety-net hospitals if they have no place to properly recover from illnesses, suggested a recent study from Duke University School of Nursing Associate Professor Donna Biederman, DrPH, MN, RN.
Homeless shelters and boarding houses are usually insufficient — many patients in the study reported developing infections in shelters, having their medications stolen or being unable to manage the stairs and move throughout the facilities.
However, a 2006 study showed 50 percent fewer homeless patients were readmitted to the hospital within 90 days if they were discharged to a medical respite facility, rather than to their own care, according to the report.
Respite care facilities exist in more than 70 cities nationwide, according to the report.
"One of the really cool things that happens if you get homeless people into a safe place for a time is they connect with human services," Dr. Biederman told Dallas News. "They may get disability [payments] and now are in line to get an apartment. This suddenly becomes a success story."
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