A Life-Changing Organization

Mercy Care, a community health center and Health Care for the Homeless organization, has two Recuperative Care programs in Atlanta where patients who don't have anywhere to live can go to safely heal when they are released from the hospital.

Thanks to a grant of $37,800 from the CDC Foundation and National Institute for Medical Respite Care, Mercy Care's staff can better help homeless patients heal and re-establish their lives.

Before 2010, Atlanta hospitals struggled with what to do with patients who were able to be discharged but did not have a place to fully recover. Mercy Care met that need with a 19-bed Recuperative Care program at the Gateway Center, a shelter for men. And in 2017, Mercy Care added a 14-bed Recuperative Care program for women at the City of Refuge focused on sheltering women and children.

While in Recuperative Care, Mercy Care's staff provides healthy meals, facilitates appointments with health providers, ensures patients are taking and tolerating medication, and look for any potential complications that they can identify quickly. They also educate and help with mental health or addiction issues. As a result of helping these discharged patients re-establish themselves through medical care as well as case management, housing referrals and locating personal documentation, Recuperative Care patients often secure housing or reunite with family by the end of their stay.

"Most stay in Recuperative Care for about 30 days; although Mercy Care has sicker patients coming to us since the pandemic hit," said Kenya Arnold, Mercy Care social services manager. "This grant will help our staff by replacing outdated equipment with portable vital sign monitors. It also will enable better wheelchair access, a renovation of an ADA compliant shower, as well as freezer capacity for meals.

"It is a forever a life-changing, life-impacting, amazing organization that truly gives you back your life," said Nygia Lambert, Recuperative Care patient.