Homelessness and Its Impact on Health

Homelessness and its Impact on Health

Keleisha Sutherland

Spring 2017

NUR 318

Dr. Daniels

Homelessness and its Impact on Health

        Adults aged 18 years and older made up 78% of all sheltered homeless people in 2009; those between 31 and 50 made up 38%, and those 62 and older made up 2.8%. Children less than six years old made up more than 50% of homeless children in shelters (Allender, Rector, Warner, 2014, p. 905). “In 2007, 12.5% of the U.S. population lived in poverty” (Allender, Rector, Warner, 2014, p. 906).  Homelessness is a multifactorial event. Factors may include loss of wages, job loss, decrease in wages, globalization and outsourcing, increase in part-time and temporary employment, and diminished public assistance (Allender, Rector, Warner, 2014, p. 906). In 2007, about 45.7 million Americans did not have health care. Those that had income under $25,000 had health insurance; they made up about 25% of the population. Some individuals that could work did not seek employment for fear that they would lose their health insurance (Allender, Rector, Warner, 2014, p.906). Lack of health insurance leads to an increase in acute and chronic health conditions and prevalence of mortality.

        Homeless individuals deal with severe threats to their health; some include hypertension, epilepsy mental illness, or substance abuse (Hwang et al., 2010, p.1454). To deal with homelessness one-third of individuals turn to substance abuse. They see the use of substances to dull the pain and stress of being homeless. Even if some desire treatment to overcome their addictions, limited access to health care is a barrier to obtaining the treatment they need (Allender, Rector, Warner, 2014, p.907). As aforementioned, most homeless individuals are children. Homeless children are more likely to get sick compared to other children, have low birth weights that require specialist care, and frequent complaints include asthma, stomach ailments, and ear infections. Obesity is a common occurrence in homeless children because of nutritional deficiencies (Allender, Rector, Warner, 2014, p.909).

        Living on the street or in crowded shelters can increase the likelihood of being exposed to communicable diseases. Adverse environmental conditions can lead to leg ulcers, frostbite, and upper respiratory infections (Allender, Rector, Warner, 2014, p.911). Oral health is affected by limited access to dental treatment and preventive services in the homeless population. This leads to the development of severe oral health problems. Severe oral health is used preceded by substance abuse, poor nutrition, and coexisting medical illness (Allender, Rector, Warner, 2014, p.911).

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