Congratulations! Respite Care Providers’ Network

We are pleased to announce that the Respite Care Providers’ Network is a Transformation Awards 2024 honoree. The Network has been a long-time partner of the Center and stands as our sector’s leading organization for people experiencing homelessness — who have been released from the hospital without a place to heal. I am honored to have the opportunity to work with them regularly. We recently talked with Caitlyn Synovec, the assistant director for the organization.

Please tell us about your organization’s history:

The Respite Care Providers’ Network was established 20 years ago formally with the National Healthcare for the Homeless Council.  Part of that work is to engage with programs across the country — such as the Center for Respite Care — part is a steering committee of providers who work with medical respite care. Our strongest involvement over the past several years has been with Laurel Nelson, the CEO serving on the Respite Care Providers’ Network steering committee.

Prior to that, the Center was an engaged member with the council and the rest of its care providers network going back to Dr. Bob Donovan and the Center’s founding.

What is your impression of the Center?

The Center is one of the programs that we often defer to when we want to provide technical assistance to new or developing medical respite programs.  It integrates different aspects of the person’s care. Folks address all aspects of their health — both physical health mental health and their social service needs are addressed at the Center.  This includes developing health and self-management skills.

Please tell us what your reaction to being honored means to your organization:

This is a big honor — for the respite care providers network to receive this kind of award. It reflects the work that the Respite Care Providers’ Network has done to advance medical respite care across the country and to be an advocate for medical respite care programs and providers. We work to build a network of programs and providers and build a community.

Tell us about the national state of respite care:

Currently, there are over 160 medical respite care programs across the United States —which is an incredible expansion. In 2018-2019 there were about 85 known programs. Medical respite care has grown over the past several years.

The growth shows that communities are identifying that people experiencing homelessness need a safe place to go once they have been hospitalized or experienced acute medical events. The fact that there are more of these programs available in more communities is going to increase access to services. Hopefully, we can help change the trajectory of somebody’s health and housing stability as a result.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

From an advocacy standpoint — the number of medical respite programs is incredible, but it also reflects the growth in the number of people experiencing homelessness across the country. Medical respite care does incredible work, but we are not going to end homelessness unless we also invest and grow affordable and accessible housing, so folks have a space to move into once they’ve completed their time at medical respite care.

We thank the National Institute and the Respite Care Providers’ Network for the ongoing leadership. Congratulations on being named an honoree.  We could not do what we do without you. The work that you do truly matters to our team and most especially to our clients.