Bowling Green nonprofit expands medical respite housing program

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WNKY) – A local nonprofit is growing a program that gives people experiencing homelessness a safe place to recover after leaving the hospital.

Hotel Inc, which focuses on health, housing, and community, provides medical respite housing… short-term, transitional housing for people who have been hospitalized with serious health conditions but have nowhere safe to go.

“This is available to people who would otherwise be discharged to their car or to recover on the streets,” said Karen Foley, executive director of Hotel Inc.

Previously, the program operated out of a single home in the Delafield neighborhood with three bedrooms, but demand has outpaced capacity. Thanks to the support of a private donor, the program is expanding to a total of 10 bedrooms across two locations in the same neighborhood.

“When people don’t have a safe place to rest, it makes it very difficult to heal and recover,” Foley said. “Respite is a place where you can set those burdens down, a temporary relief.”

Medical respite housing provides a safe environment for rest and recovery, and also connects residents with future housing opportunities and community resources.

Staff recently helped set up one of three new units so that patients leaving the hospital can immediately have a secure place to heal. The expansion allows Hotel Inc to serve more men and women at the same time, providing critical space for recovery and stability.

Hotel Inc encourages the community to support its work. Donations can be made online at www.hotelincbg.com or by contacting Karen Foley at karen@hotelincbg.com.