Paul | Invisible People

Paul


Paul went through quadrupedal bypass open heart surgery at the Veterans Hospital. They then placed him in a nursing home, and when his time was up there, Paul was lucky enough to find a homeless [...]

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Paul

face and voice of homelessness, road trip 2010

Paul went through quadrupedal bypass open heart surgery at the Veterans Hospital. They then placed him in a nursing home, and when his time was up there, Paul was lucky enough to find a homeless shelter with respite care.

Paul was very lucky in many ways. Here in Los Angeles I only know of two facilities that offer respite care both totaling only 85 beds combined.

We have a ‘Silver Tsunami’ coming that is very serious. The ‘boomers’ are hitting the senior years and because of the economy savings and health care are nonexistent. In a few years older Americans will be taxing the social services system and we need to be building more respite care facilities now.

Special thanks to Destination: Home

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  • http://www.ccolife.org Ljackson

    He is definitely fortunate. I work at a homeless shelter in Chicago. There was an elderly gentleman who was living outdoors and had a heart attack. He was rushed to the hospital and triple bypass heart surgery performed on him. A few short days later, the hospital released him back to the streets with staples still in his chest. Some of our outreach workers found him and took him into our facility……

  • http://hardlynormal.com hardlynormal

    Thanks for sharing…WOW!

    that is exactly what I see and hear about far too often

  • http://www.destinationhomescc.org Jen

    Mark,

    Thanks for telling Paul’s story and our local efforts with the Medical Respite Program. We’ve housed over 115 chronically homeless folks – folks that would have in the past been discharged from hospital to street – and now they are in their own homes. Thanks again!

    Jen
    Destination: Home

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