Courtesy Photo One of the rooms available for patients in the respite program at Northwestern Medical Center. ST. ALBANS – Northwestern Medical Center (NMC) has launched an innovative pilot program that provides short-term housing to patients who would otherwise struggle in an unsafe environment at home.
This type of care is called "medical respite care" and the need is growing due to increased numbers of people experiencing unsafe housing. The pilot was inspired by initiatives already existing around Vermont that were filling the gap that many people face after going home from the hospital. In February, NMC’s Population Health and Care Management teams started the pilot, offering two apartments to people in Franklin County who need a place to safely recover from their illness or injury.
The pilot is funded by a $200,000 grant from the Vermont Department of Health. After gaining the grant in November of 2023, NMC secured and opened the apartments in February 2024. Since that time, NMC has housed 5 community members in the two apartments: a one bedroom, and a two-bedroom unit.
The reasons for staying in the medical respite apartments vary. One individual was in the hospital for surgery and then suffered a sudden pipe burst in their home which allowed black mold to grow. Another patient who had surgery lived in unsuitable living conditions while another was couch surfing and in need of a place to stay after receiving care.
Some of the services that the medical respite bed p.