Thousands of individuals in the United States are subject to homelessness and the associated risks. The homeless population consists of people who are permanently without housing, have temporarily lost access to shelter, are escaping domestic violence, and for many other reasons. In general, the issue of the homeless population is diverse and encompasses many underlying challenges to individuals who are homeless and social infrastructure at the same time. Thus, people who are homeless are disproportionately affected by health risks and issues, such as the high rates of tuberculosis, alcohol and drug abuse, HIV infection, and mental illnesses. There are numerous factors that cause the increased rates of healthcare issues, and the most significant ones are barriers to care, limited resources, lack of access to social services, and limited access to adequate protection and food. Alcohol and drug abuse, as well as infectious diseases, are also included in the major concerning health issues that are often observed among health populations.
The goal concerning policy in the Healthy People 2020 initiative is the most relevant to the health issues faced by homeless people. Many obstacles to receiving care or adequate resources exist due to the criminalization of homelessness and the current lack of appropriate legal guidelines in addressing the problem (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2021). In this paper, homelessness and associated health risks will be addressed through the perspective of nursing interventions and potential future solutions that are designed for the specific concerns of the homeless population.
In the present day, the homeless population suffers from disproportionate and dangerous biases that often result in the inability to seek care, prejudice, marginalization, severe health risks, and even death. This is largely due to social stigma as well as the criminalization of homelessness through indirect policy. Homeless individuals are often barred from remaining, sleeping, resting, or otherwise being in many locations. Such policies do little to address the underlying issues that cause homelessness and exist to comfort those that are not homeless within the area. Similarly, many homeless individuals lack the knowledge or ability to attend to their health concerns and often may only be seen by medical professionals in a state of emergency (Gilmer & Buccieri, 2020). Financial disadvantages also contribute to the risk of their health issues becoming unmanageable and lethal. Social stigma facilitates a false narrative that homelessness is deserved and not a result of personal, financial, and systemic difficulties. As such, while progress is being made, the homeless population continues to suffer from substantial bias.
In general, nursing interventions that can benefit the homeless population rely on minimizing biases and providing appropriate resources, social intervention, and easily accessible services. Outside and inside the sphere of healthcare, it is possible to identify certain individuals, but this can often impede interactions and the provision of care (Hilton, 2022). As such, it is vital for nurses and related professionals to understand and utilize appropriate language and behaviors when providing care to homeless or otherwise disadvantaged individuals. Similarly, when possible, nursing interventions can organize and actualize the provision of essential goods such as footwear, hygiene products, and even coffee shop gift cards, allowing individuals to escape the cold and remain within a building as paying customers. Services such as frostbite checks and foot care without charge are also vital (Weber, 2019). Individuals within the nursing field may also contribute to initiatives and movements that promote better and more accessible services for the homeless population.
The homeless population is incredibly diverse and while many issues are shared, specific considerations occur due to variations in age, gender, cultural background, location, and other factors. Although homelessness is an issue that is present on a national scale, regions and cities may benefit from addressing specific homelessness issues locally. As such, it is vital that any initiatives identify the specific needs and barriers to care seen within selected regions. Following this, policies or actions to address the issue must be aware of the population size, needs, and resources and services necessary to appropriately address the challenges in terms of health care (Purkey & McKenzie, 2019). An evaluation plan would also focus on achieving goals within a local setting. From the perspective of the healthcare sector, progress can be measured in terms of a decrease in hospital visits due to increased access to services or prevention items, such as clothing, footwear, and other gear. Following this, a decrease in follow-ups and mortality among homeless groups would also be indicative of improved access to services.
To conclude, a substantial number of nursing interventions can effectively address the specific needs of many homeless populations by providing accessible services, resources and minimization of biases. However, many barriers and unjust behaviors still limit homeless individuals’ ability to acquire adequate health care. Community health relies on the ability to address individuals’ overarching and specific needs that co-exist within certain locations. As such, it is vital that the current social and systemic obstacles faced by homeless people within the healthcare sector are removed and that appropriate care is made available.
References
Gilmer, C., & Buccieri, K. (2020). Homeless patients associate clinician bias with suboptimal care for mental illness, addictions, and chronic pain. Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 11(1).
Hilton, L. (2022). Providing health care for the homeless is what these nurses do best. Nurse.
Purkey, E., & McKenzie, M. (2019). Experience of healthcare among the homeless and vulnerably housed a qualitative study: Opportunities for equity-oriented health care. International Journal of Equity in Health, 18(1).
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2021). Healthy People 2020. Health.
Weber, J. J. (2019). A systematic review of nurse-led interventions with populations experiencing homelessness. Public Health Nursing, 36(1), 96-106.