Medical respite healthcare programs needed in Charleston, SC
In early 2024, Albany, who was homeless at the time, was hospitalized due to complications with diabetes. Doctors had to amputate several of his toes.
He lost his job in early 2023 before his health declined, and couldn’t keep up with rental payments. It was hard to find a new job as he dealt with the symptoms of unmanaged diabetes, he said. He ended up living in a storage unit for eight months. Without access to medication, his diabetes got worse.
He lived with his sister for a few months before being hospitalized for a month. At the hospital, he learned about the medical respite program and thought it would be a good fit. Once he was discharged from the hospital, he went directly to the respite shelter.
During his stay, he said the medical staff came in regularly to check in on him, help with wound care and medication, and answer any questions he had. Staff went above and beyond to ensure he received the care he needed, he said.
“It’s a good place you can get healed and get plenty of rest,” he said.
Since recovering from the surgery, Albany transitioned to a non-medical bed at the shelter.
Cole said staying at the shelter is one option patients have when they leave respite care. There, they can work with case managers to help them find stable housing.
“If you fast-forward three or four months, you see them improve and get better and take a lot of self-drive in getting themselves to where they need to be,” she said.
Nurse practitioner Krysta Carhart goes through her research around medical respite for the homeless, which is step-down care for folks who have been discharged from the hospital but still need medical care, in the Charleston area at her home, Tuesday, August 26, 2025, in Hanahan.
Establishing medical respite takes work
After several years working to establish medical respite in the Upstate, the program at the men’s shelter opened in 2019. Three years later, four respite beds were placed in the women’s shelter, a separate location called Shepherd’s Gate off Pleasantburg Drive just north of downtown Greenville.
When looking at options, Cook said they considered a standalone building for medical respite care only, but that would have taken more time and extra funds to pull off. Because they had interest from shelter partners, like Miracle Hill Ministries, it made the most sense to pool resources, he said.
link
