Why do people who are homeless face barriers to health care? What are the strategies to facilitate Health care system in Canada? Homelessness is an important issue everywhere throughout the world and the reason for homelessness can be different for each individual. It can be low-income salary, mental disability, or not being able to afford a house. However, these people also experience barriers to accessing health care in Canada. Some of the barriers are: having regular family doctor, facing discrimination and lack of community support, and/or not having health insurance. These problems can exacerbate people’s homeless experience. First what is the definition of homelessness? There are two kinds of homelessness, “Absolute homelessness”, …show more content…
Lack of health care coverage is an issue for most homeless people in the United States. Despite a fact that Canada has universal health system meaning that everybody cover, numerous homeless don 't have evidence of coverage or health insurance card because their identification has been lost or stolen. In Toronto, 7% people who are homeless report having been refused because they did not represent health care cad or health insurance. Moreover, many people who are homeless don 't fill prescription they have received because they don 't have any insurance coverage Therefore they can afford the cost of prescription (P. …show more content…
Extensive examination distinguishes that homeless youth encounter a variation of mental illness including post-traumatic anxiety issue, and psychiatric issue. In Toronto (Ontario) study found that street youth showed large amounts of misery, nervousness, and paranoia. They are in danger of being sexual abuse as well. Therefore, depression and other psychiatric issue among homeless youth are more than general population (p. 45). Eggertson, L (2007) points out, people who are homeless will probably experience mental illness than the overall public, and accordingly they use emergency department. A new report by the Canadian institution for health argues, there is a connection between mental illness, homelessness and poverty. “It 's not clear whether homelessness increases a person 's likelihood of becoming mentally ill, or whether poverty in general and homelessness specifically result from mental illness, in some cases compromised mental health and mental illness can be both a risk for and an outcome of
Douglass, R., Torres, R., Surfus, P., Krinke, B., & Dale, L. (1999). Health Care Needs and Services Utilization Among Sheltered and Unsheltered Michigan Homeless. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Undeserved, 5-18.
In the United States, homelessness has remained a constant presence in all major cities. For example, in New York City, it is comprised of alcoholics, drug addicts, and other people (“American History”). It has largely moved into hidden places such as unused subway tunnels or under bridges. Whether or not we experience it ourselves, homelessness impacts all of us. Homelessness describes all normal life crisis. There is a difference between people who experience these challenges and become homeless and people who face them and do not use the support systems that they have in place.
Homelessness is one of the biggest issues society (Unites States) faces today. Homelessness is caused by lack of affordable housing, economic situations and decline in federal funding for low income families and the mentally ill. A homeless person is defined as an individual who lacks housing (without regard to whether the individual is a member of a family) including an individual whose primary residence during the night is a supervised public or private (shelters) facility that provides temporary living accommodations and an individual who is a resident in transitional housing. This definition of housing is used by the U.S Department of Healt...
Mental health problems contribute to some homelessness exacerbating disturbances of a critical disposition. Homelessness is problematic without Mental Health issues and can be harder to treat without the added disparity. Homelessness and mental health issues can induce crisis alone and combined. The combination of these two issues can worsen disruption leading to greater chance of crisis. Roberts (2005) states that there must be an ongoing balance of affect and cognitive abilities available to counter stressful incidents that could lead to crisis. A person who is unstable in their mental health would have fewer resources to combat crisis. A stressful situation added to mental health issues could lead to crisis and homelessness. Lee et al. (2010) say mental illness associated with homelessness could be from the crises or cause crisis. Each additional stress can escalate disruption leading to the possibility of crisis.
Doll, Helen, Fazel, Seena, Geddes, John, and Khosla, Vivek. (2008). “The Prevalence of Mental Disorders Homeless in Western Countries: Review and meta-regression.” PLoS Med 5(12): e225
Youth homelessness in Ontario is not a new phenomenon, it has become more and more severe over the past 20 years. “One third of homeless individuals on the streets are under the age of 25”(Cino, Rose). It is a significant social justice issue in Canada. Within our community people are increasingly aware of the sight of youth sleeping in parks, asking for money and sitting on sidewalks. Youth homelessness in Ontario is primarily caused by tragic life occurrences such as abuse, illness or unemployment.
The youth homelessness population is increasing because of the many challenges that these children or teens face in everyday life; It also continues getting larger every year because of the many youth who are getting into dangerous situations that force them to be homeless or thru their own choosing. One third of the homeless population is between the ages of 16-24, which is incredibly young and it is the prime years for an adolescent or young adu...
Despite the variety of health care options offed to the public, most homeless people find that their medical needs are not even being acknowledged. There are many programs that are categorized as healthcare programs, which include things as broad as having a regular primary care giver to things as specific as dental needs or being able to get help from a specialist if needed. Whether or not medical needs are being met is qualified by what defines a “need”. In a study of the homeless population in the New England region, participants were asked “Have you needed to see a doctor or a nurse in the past 12 months but were not able?” (Hwang, Stephen, Ueng, Joanna, Chiu, Shirley &ump; Tolomiczenko, George, 2010, p.1455). If the people in th...
Looking at the environmental components in relation to the homeless and their mental health, this author found socioeconomic adversity, lack of health insurance and health care, lack of food, clothing, and shelter as the predominant variables. Zlotnick, Zerger, and Wolfe stated that “Limits on shelter stays during the daytime and competing needs to seek food and employment also in...
Homelessness has different meanings to different people; someone who has never been homeless might think homelessness is a person who lives on the street, in a tent or in a box. Many people don’t realize that there are a number of homeless people, who couch surf with friends, family or the ones who live in motels which are unaccountable in the numbers of homeless people. People including families with children, seniors, single parents, youths and those that are single are living in accommodations that are below standards and consider themselves as homeless.
There are many other cases of why the homeless are homeless like domestic violence, mental illness, addictions, and unaffordable health care. Homelessness is a problem which has been caused by many different aspects but mainly money because of massive unemployment rates. A hidden aspect to homelessness that we may not think of is ...
Although homelessness and mental illness are two separate experiences, they have similar starts. Those that suffer from infantile misfortune are probable to becoming homeless by the time they are adults and could have physical or mental health difficulties (Montgomery et al. S265). Having a history of abuse, being a woman, and long periods of homelessness are big factors in the development of a mental illness (Helfrich et al. 116). The victimization state of mind experienced by many homeless is detrimental in why they cannot cope with their current situation. This also means that they could focus too much on one thing and become hysterical or paranoid. Witnessing a traumatic event is increased by homelessness and is more likely to cause mental disorders (qtd. in Helfrich et al. 116). Illnesses like PTSD are linked directly to the victim seeing a traumatic scene (Helfrich et al...
Tunstall, L. (2009). Homelessness: an overview. EBSCO Publishing Service Selection Page. Retrieved February 5, 2011, from http://web.ebscohost.com/pov/detail?hid=119&sid=d5f751fa-0d0d-4ed1-8deb-483e701af50c%40sessionmgr111&vid=3&bdata=Jmxhbmc9ZW4tY2Emc2l0ZT1wb3YtY2Fu#db=p3h&AN=28674966
Many homeless people do not have access to healthcare and they go many years without seeing a doctor. According to Fitzpatrick, “there is a clear and defined need for healthcare for homeless people and their families.” She is right, it todays society homelessness is just ignored by many people and has became a serious problem. Most of society does not know about the organizations that help the homeless. For example, Fitapatrick believes in a organization called The Opening Doors Project it is a group of nurses and other health professionals that look at substance abuse within the homeless community. Due to not seeing a doctor and the common knowledge of homeless people abusing drugs and alcohol, “homeless people can have complex and multiple health problems” (Who quoted it). Not everyone agrees with Fitzpatrick, “I am convinced that handouts are basically wrongheaded,” says Sherman. She believes giving anything to the homeless will not help change the homeless persons situation (Sherman). Sherman's advice does not make sence, ignoring the problem will not help either and without proper medical care there is no way to improve homeless health which will cause many people to die a unessary death. According to Hopper, “generative forces behind widespread homelessness runs deep and their correction will req...
Homelessness is a problem virtually every society suffers from. There are many things that cause people to become homeless, such as unemployment, relationship problems, and being evicted from ones domicile either by a landlord, friend or even a family member. However, with every cause there must be an effect. Some of the effects of one becoming homeless, besides the obvious change of lifestyle, are various health problems which often times may lead to death.