Church helps Salvation Army attend to nursing care of homeless

   PORTLAND — Every hospital in the Portland metro area has an ongoing challenge with finding ways to do follow-up care after homeless patients receive treatment at their hospitals. The individuals return to the streets and it becomes impossible for them to receive follow-up nursing care.
    A Portland church and The Salvation Army have teamed up to address the problem.
    In 2005, The Salvation Army and Oregon Health Sciences University Hospital joined efforts to provide shelter and nursing care for these individuals. However, the only space available for this outreach was on the second floor of the Harbor Light facility, located at 30 S.W. Second Ave., which was difficult for infirm individuals to access. The initial implementation of the Homeless Infirmary Program was installed on the second floor with room for 12 patients. The goal was to remodel a first floor vacant wing and turn it into a homeless infirmary, but this would require installing an special bathroom under federal code, a standard bathroom and a laundry room. The quotes for doing all this work was beyond the means of the Salvation Army — approximately $40,000 in parts, permits, and labor.
    Last spring Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church on 92nd Avenue in south Portland approached The Salvation Army about volunteering at the Harbor Light Shelter in some way. That led to serving a breakfast once a month. In the process, the church learned about the need for creating an accessible homeless infirmary on the first floor.

   Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church took on the project, coordinating those who could donate time, materials or finances to the project. A licensed plumber, Frank Bruno, and a licensed contractor, Scott Schlimpert, volunteered their time. A licensed draftsman, Marty Jones, created the plans and church paid for the permits out of its social concerns budget. Johnson Air Products of Portland will provide the fixtures and several individuals have stepped forward to pay for the materials.
    The completed infirmary will double patient capacity from 12 patients to 24 patients. There will be bathrooms, showers, and other fixtures that will accommodate people with disabilities and who are recovering from surgery or other medical issues. There will be a washer and dryer and new plumbing throughout. The remodeling project began on Jan. 8 and was to be finished by this month.
    The Homeless Infirmary Program is a joint effort between Oregon Health Sciences University and The Salvation Army to meet the needs of those homeless individuals who have need of medical nursing skills as they recover from surgery, injury, or illness.
     OHSU provides nurses and doctors to tend to the medical needs and The Salvation Army provides the meals, shelter, bed space, and access to a variety of social services.