Recovering from Covid after a hospital stay can be a long process, and persisting symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, body aches, headache and fever. But what if you don’t have a home to go to when you are discharged?
The Salvation Army is stepping in to fill the gap for some of London’s homeless population, providing temporary housing for rough sleepers who no longer need to be in hospital but are too clinically vulnerable to go out on the street.
Five rooms and a shared kitchen have been made available for the purpose at the charity’s St Ann’s building in Westminster, with the hope of more beds in the future.
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Alison Smith, The Salvation Army’s service manager at St Ann’s, said: “The residents at St Ann’s may have been sleeping rough, or for some reason their previous accommodation is unsuitable for their needs.
“St Ann’s is here to act as a stepping stone out of hospital until suitable accommodation is found and their health has improved meaning they can move elsewhere.”