Recuperative care offers hospitals a safe place to discharge homeless patients who no longer require hospitalization but still need to heal from an illness or injury. While in our care, clients receive medical supervision, case management and supportive social services with the goal of facilitating a healthy recovery.

Many individuals experiencing homelessness also suffer from severe health issues requiring care and sometimes hospitalization. Some have broken bones, dressings to be changed, or chronic conditions to be managed. Others simply need rest, proper nutrition and the chance to regain their strength. Tending to these needs while living on the streets is challenging. Without a safe place to heal, they often cannot fully recover and end up back in the hospital. Recuperative care stops that vicious cycle and leads to fewer hospital readmissions.

Hospitals partner with recuperative care programs to offer individuals experiencing homelessness this transitional alternative at no cost to the patient. These programs are financed through grants secured by the programs and fees paid by discharging hospitals.

Recuperative care involves providing a temporary place for individuals without homes to receive medical oversight, meals, transportation to doctor’s appointments, and case management from a social worker who connects them with community services and housing. Recuperative care facilities do not provide direct nursing care. Staff assists with basic needs that put a client on a path to self-sufficiency, including linking them to counseling, job training, financial services and legal assistance.

Individuals experiencing homelessness use hospitals at a much higher rate than people with homes.  The average length of a hospital stay is 4.6 days, but the average individual without a home stays twice as long.  Without a place to recover, many end up back in the emergency room within 30 days. Recuperative care can help offset the financial impact to hospitals and reduce hospital readmissions by as much as half.  Given the average cost of $3,300 per day for a hospital stay, compared to the average $250 per night for recuperative care, the savings quickly add up.

Recuperative care helps break the cycle of repeated hospitalizations of individuals experiencing homelessness by allowing them to properly heal after a hospital stay, and access housing and other supportive services necessary to remain healthy.

Approximately 75% of clients entering recuperative care in Los Angeles County are not listed in government social services’ databases. While in recuperative care, these individuals’ information is entered into the county’s Coordinated Entry System (CES), which can help them better access housing resources and social services, including mental health, primary care, rehabilitation and other community resources.

Yes, we accept individuals on parole.

Individuals are assigned to double-occupancy rooms.

Clients are free to come and go at their leisure.

While in our care, clients receive on-site medical supervision, case management and supportive social services with the goal of facilitating a healthy recovery. We can connect clients to general relief, counseling, housing resources, job training, financial services and legal assistance through our extensive network of community resources.

Recuperative care facilities are not licensed programs.

An individual that requires wound care or IV antibiotics will need to have home health services set up before we can accept into our program.

Yes, we have clothes we can provide to individuals in need.

In addition to linking individuals to housing resources, we create a plan for achieving long-term stability and independence, along with aftercare support, ensuring they are closer to housing than when they arrive.

We connect individuals to mental health services within the community.

Yes, we accept individuals in wheelchairs. However, they must be able to complete all their assisted daily living activities and must be able to transfer independently.

Yes, we accept individuals taking intravenous medications. However, a social worker from the hospital must arrange for home health to follow the individual and administer the medication. We will not, however, accept an individual who is an active IV drug user on IV antibiotics.

Yes, we accept undocumented individuals.