What are common healthcare challenges that homeless people face? How does the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program fix these problems?
In Rough Sleepers, Tracy Kidder outlines the challenges the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program had to combat in order to help people. Just a few problems they came across were stable housing and building trust with traumatized patients.
Take a look at how Jim O’Connell, the founder of the program, found solutions to these issues.
Addressing Healthcare Challenges for the Homeless
When it comes to providing comprehensive medical and assistance services to the homeless, providers face numerous healthcare challenges. Let’s explore these obstacles and the tactics used to overcome them.
Building Trust With Traumatized Patients
To assist those who have experienced homelessness and often face immediate mental health challenges, the program needs to prioritize empathy and focus on individual needs. Building rapport through patient interactions is crucial, as it showcases the program’s commitment to care.
O’Connell, the Street Team nurse practitioner, fosters connections with patients who have suffered traumatic experiences by engaging with those unfamiliar with urban shelters. Many individuals choose alternatives to shelters and clinics, not because they want to be ill, but because they’re averse to overcrowded environments.
Tailoring Clinic Procedures
The program has to change its clinic procedures to accommodate the specific requirements of individuals without stable housing. Flexible scheduling is key to suit the unpredictable timetables of those the program serves. Weekly meetings highlight the importance of adaptable methods in addressing patient concerns and unforeseen events.
Addressing Complex Challenges
Tackling the health and societal issues encountered by people who lack housing is essential. The Street Team’s strategy orchestrates comprehensive care. They do this by addressing persistent health issues while considering psychological and social aspects of well-being, including isolation and aggressive behavior.
This holistic approach requires understanding diverse medical issues, individual temperaments, substances of choice, and immediate dangers faced by each person. The team’s efficiency is bolstered by their dedication to gaining a deep comprehension of their clients’ medical issues.
Providing Housing Support
The organization believes that all individuals have a right to respectable living conditions. As such, they provide housing subsidies to their most at-risk clients. However, transitioning from homelessness to stable housing often involves challenges like lacking crucial household management skills and adjusting to a new lifestyle.
Successful community integration can also be hampered by barriers such as criminal records, missed appeal deadlines, and prohibitions on accessing shelters.
In summary, supporting individuals without homes requires an empathetic, flexible, and holistic strategy that acknowledges the complex network of health-related and societal difficulties they encounter.
