Homeless patient with pneumonia

[tori-alba]

What resources are available for a homeless patient that is being discharged but he needs further care? He has been in the hospital for the max days allowed for his condition. How would you handle this?

[la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN]

I disagree roser13. You say I "chose to pose my question as a homework seeker"....however I simply asked a question. Granted it was a bit vague but I was fishing for ideas and had hoped to garner information from different parts of the US. Your response was harsh and even now has a accusatory tone. You say "color us jaded" but you are speaking for yourself....not for a group. Or at least I hope you are not speaking for a group.

Sorry, but, if you peek around the student assistance forum, you'll see that the way you posed the question came off very similarly to a homework prompt.

[JustMeRN]

I'm currently a home care nurse, and I have been assigned a start of care visit at a homeless shelter. I never was able to locate the patient for various reasons, but involving home care is an option. We also have a hospital in our largest city that runs a mobile clinic that also visits the only homeless shelter in the area a couple days a week. As others have said though, this type of patient is difficult to treat because of their own lack of interest in caring for themselves.

[nutella, MSN, RN]

regarding homeless...

A couple of days ago I listened to a podcast, I think it was something on NPR about homelessness and housing. And the person they interviewed said that if you want to get the health status better, you need to provide housing first as this usually will also help with other problems.

[quiltynurse56, LPN, LVN]

I don't know, but the idea that tori-alba lists BSN, RN after her name and then the information at the bottom states that she has 6 years experience did not lead me to think she was asking a homework assignment.

[JustBeachyNurse, LPN]

I don't know, but the idea that tori-alba lists BSN, RN after her name and then the information at the bottom states that she has 6 years experience did not lead me to think she was asking a homework assignment.

That wasn't there when the original post was made hence the questions

[loriangel14, RN]

So is the OP saying that a hospital would discharge someone onto the street if they had no where to go?

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

She added that AFTER her initial post. She has offered far more information after that initial post

I don't know, but the idea that tori-alba lists BSN, RN after her name and then the information at the bottom states that she has 6 years experience did not lead me to think she was asking a homework assignment.

[Linka]

This may be a tad late but my first thought from the title was Mantoux test.

And hey, if he tests positive, he gets to stay for longer

To answer your question, resources are local shelters. from my experience, people without a home have already been in those shelters and for some reason refuse to go back. They'd rather go back on the street. This transition is heavily handled by case management/ social worker.