Demetrius Williams didn’t know if he’d live after the car crash.
He broke both legs, an arm, and 11 ribs. His aorta was punctured in 2 places and his hip was crushed.
“It was a really bad situation,” said Williams, who was 50 at the time of the accident.
The hospital care team kept him alive and put him back together.
In the hospital, he had everything he needed — a bed, meals, care, and people checking on him.
But outside was different. He worried about what would come next.
Healing takes more than time
Williams didn’t have a home. He didn’t even have clothes to leave the hospital in. He’d been sleeping in his car.
Williams was referred to a medical respite program run by the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, a nonprofit in Denver.
Medical respite programs provide short-term housing and care for people who are homeless and recovering from illness or injury.
“We know people heal better after being hospitalized when they have a safe place to rest and steady support,” said Pamela Schwartz, executive director of community health at Kaiser Permanente. “Medical respite gives people that chance, and that’s why it’s so important that we help fund these programs.”
Since 2022, we’ve contributed more than $14 million to medical respite care organizations. That support has reached over 9,300 people. As a nonprofit health care organization, we provide funding and support to programs that improve the health of the communities we serve.
