Running head: HOMELESSNESS 1

Short Answer Paper: Homelessness

Jason Karl Palmani

214240006

NURS 4546 – Global Context of Nursing

York University

Professor: Sandra Skerrat

October 07, 2018

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Part 1: Global Issue and How It Affects Our Community

One significant issue our community and other nations around the world is facing is

homelessness. According to the Global Homelessness Statistics (2018), it was estimated that 100

million people worldwide are homeless and that 1.6 billion individuals necessitates adequate

housing. Despite of these high numbers, it may still be lower because the numbers are unable to

reflect those who are “Hidden Homeless,” which are individuals living in the slums, who are

couch surfing, and those who are frequently relocating (Global Homelessness Statistics, 2018).

Moreover, not only the people from poor countries experience homelessness, but it is also a

problem faced by wealthy countries. In Canada, specifically, it was estimated that 30,000

Canadians are homeless every night; 200,000 homeless every year; and 1.3 million have

experienced being homeless (Stamler et al., 2015). Similarly, in Australia, homelessness has

increased by 14% from 2011 to 2016 (Beadnel, 2018). In the United States, homelessness also

serves as a “major public health and social welfare problem” (Fusaro, Levy, & Shaefer, 2018, p.

1). Overall, these statistics have shown that homelessness is a global issue as it does not only

affect the poorer regions of the world, but also the economically wealthy countries as well.

There are numerous ways that homelessness can affect our community, most especially

the lives of the individuals. Homelessness can lead to various negative consequences; for

instance, it leads to the development of mental illnesses, substance abuse, and it increases the

rates of chronic diseases. Firstly, homelessness positively correlates with the development of

mental illnesses. Homelessness cause psychological challenges such as stress, depression, fear,

and anxiety (Stamler et al., 2015). As a result, these can either trigger the development or

exacerbate previous mental illnesses (Homeless Hub, 2018). The population may also suffer
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from substance abuse (drugs and alcohol abuse). This is a concern because when this is coupled

with a mental illness, it makes it difficult for them to escape homelessness and furthers social

marginalization (Palepu, Gadermann, Hubley, Farrell, Gogosis, Aubry, & Hwang, 2013).

Moreover, homelessness also leads to the development of chronic diseases. For instance, the

homeless population have higher rates of hypertension, diabetes, renal disease, cancers, AIDS,

and cardiovascular diseases (Stamler et al., 2015). Additionally, majority of the population live

in unhealthy physical environments, which ultimately escalates their exposure to more health

risks (Stamler et al., 2015). Ultimately, these negative consequences are amplified by the barriers

in accessing health care services. The homeless have additional barriers compared to the general

population, most especially the lack of financial resources. For example, despite the universal

healthcare system of Canada, Medicare does not cover dental care and medication costs (Lewis,

Heitkemper, Dirksen, & Bucher, 2014). Hence, this greatly creates a barrier as it limits their

accessibility to such services, as well as limiting their ability to attain optimal health (Stamler et

al., 2015). Overall, if homelessness is left untreated, these negative consequences will continue

to increase, thus furthering the complexity of healthcare management.

Part 2: How to Address the Issue Locally and How Awareness Improves Care

The basic necessities of life such as food, clothing, and housing are all priorities when

addressing homelessness locally. One simple approach is through the donations of foods and

clothing to drop-in centers. According to Tucker (2018), drop-in centers are pivotal

establishments as these are usually the first places where the homeless obtain food, clothing, and

shelter. Hence, donating directly towards drop-in centers can help meet their basic needs.

Additionally, monetary donations to appropriate organizations, such as The Salvation Army, is

also an effective way of helping them. Furthermore, even though donations are effective
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approaches, these may only be beneficial for a short period of time. Therefore, strategies should

also aim at delivering lifelong help to the homeless. One approach is to help them gain

employment or widening their job opportunities. According to Poremski, Whitley, and Latimer

(2014), employment provide individuals the means to successfully exit homelessness and it

should be a priority action when planning to end homelessness. For instance, community drop-in

centers can be utilized to provide employment services and programs. These programs may

include training them on how to construct resumes and cover letters, preparing them for

interviews, job search education, and providing other necessary supports that can help them

transition out from the streets. Therefore, through helping them gain employment, they are able

to obtain a source of income that can support their daily necessities, and can greatly counteract

the challenges and barriers that they face every day.

Being aware of the concept of homelessness and its prevalence globally is important as

future healthcare professionals (HCP). Being informed and aware of such concept helps to

deliver culturally safe and equitable care, which in turn lowers the barriers for the homeless in

accessing health care services. For example, barriers such as misconceptions, prejudices, and

stigmas (Homeless Hub, 2018). According to Stamler et al. (2014), homeless families may

encounter HCPs that do not deliver culturally safe care; as a result, this discourages them from

seeking follow-up treatments. Hence, it is essential as a future HCP to understand this global

issue as it helps to set aside prejudices and misconceptions about the homeless population when

delivering care. Additionally, understanding their individual lived experiences can also help meet

their unique health care needs. Ultimately, through awareness, it improves the effectiveness and

quality of care that HCPs provide and the homeless population receives.
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Part 3: Conclusion

To conclude, homelessness is a global issue that requires immediate interventions. It

greatly concerns our community as homelessness can lead to negative consequences such as the

development of mental illnesses, substance abuse, and chronic diseases. There are numerous

approaches on how to help the homeless. The short-term approach is through donating to drop-in

centers and appropriate organizations. And a long-term approach is to help them obtain

employment. With employment, it helps them to gain a source of income, giving them the ability

to afford their basic needs and lessening their dependence on others. Lastly, as future HCPs,

awareness of this issue is integral as it helps in delivering culturally sensitive and equitable care.

Overall, homelessness is a global issue that is not only prevalent in the poorest nations, but also

in the developed countries as well. Therefore, it is essential that affected countries must work

collaboratively to counteract this issue and address the negative impacts of homelessness on

families, individuals, and the community.

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References

Beadnell, C. (2018). Rise of homelessness. Australian Nursing & Midwifery Journal, 26(1), 16–

21. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/

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Childress, S., Reitzel, L. R., Maria, D. S., Kendzor, D. E., Moisiuc, A., & Businelle, M. S.

(2015). Mental illness and substance use problems in relation to homelessness onset.

American Journal of Health Behavior, 39(4), 549–555. https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.

yorku.ca/10.5993/AJHB.39.4.11

Fusaro, V. A., Levy, H. G., & Shaefer, H. L. (2018). Racial and ethnic disparities in the lifetime

prevalence of homelessness in the united states. Demography, 1-10. doi:http://dx.doi.org.

ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/10.1007/s13524-018-0717-0

Homelesshub. (2018). Homelessness. Retrieved October 05, 2018, from http://homelesshub.ca

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Lewis, S., Heitkemper, M., Dirksen, S., & Bucher, L. (2014). Medical-surgical nursing in

canada: Assessment and management of clinical problems (3rd ed). Toronto ON:

Elsevier Mosby.

Palepu, A., Gadermann, A., Hubley, A. M., Farrell, S., Gogosis, E., Aubry, T., & Hwang, S. W.

(2013). Substance use and access to health care and addiction treatment among homeless

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Poremski, D., Whitley, R., & Latimer, E. (2014). Barriers to obtaining employment for people

with severe mental illness experiencing homelessness. Journal of Mental Health, 23(4),
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181–185. https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/10.3109/09638237.2014.910640

Stamler, L. L., Yiu, L., Dosani, A. (2015). Community health nursing: A canadian perspective

(4th ed.). Toronto, ON: Pearson.

Tucker (2018). Factors associated with drop-in center utilization among unaccompanied youth

experiencing homelessness. Children & Youth Services Review, 91, 347–354. https://doi-

org.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca /10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.06.027