The National Health Care for the Homeless Council’s Standards for Medical Respite Programs

Standard and selected criteria

1

Medical respite program provides safe and quality accommodations

■ A bed is available to each patient 24 hours a day while they are admitted to the program

■ Three meals a day are provided

■ 24/7 on-call medical support

2

Medical respite program provides quality environmental services

■ Has written policy and procedure for safe storage, disposal and handling of biomedical and pharmaceutical waste

■ Follows state regulations for the storage, handling, security and disposal of patient medications

■ Has written protocols to promote infection control and reports cases of communicable diseases

3

Program manages timely and safe care transitions to medical respite from acute-care, specialty-care and/or community settings

■ Has clear policies and procedures for screening and managing client referrals into the medical respite program

■ Notifies existing primary-care providers about a patient’s transition into the program

■ Maintains clinical summary

4

Medical respite program administers high quality post-acute clinical care

■ Conducts baseline assessment of each patient to determine factors that will influence care, treatment and services

■ Develops a care plan for each patient

■ Conducts at least one wellness check for each patient every 24 hours

5

Medical respite program assists in healthcare coordination and provides wraparound support services

■ Helps patients navigate health systems and establish an ongoing relationship with primary-care providers

■ Provides wraparound services like helping facilitate housing or helping submit applications for aid programs

6

Medical respite program facilitates safe and appropriate care transitions from medical respite to the community

■ Patients are given a minimum of 24 hours’ notice prior to discharge

■ Patients are provided options for placement after discharge

7

Medical respite care is driven by quality improvement

■ Program establishes and annually updates a quality improvement plan

■ Program has a written patient grievance policy and procedure

■ Establishes an employee training plan providing necessary skills to maintain a safe environment