Essay On Homeless Community

My clinical experiences at Tenderloin have brought a lot of changes in my thinking and understanding of the homeless population. Seeing the people suffer and hearing their real life stories that brought them to the streets has made me able to see the problems through their eyes and feel their pain. It is hard to imagine that a huge problem of poverty and homelessness lies in the heart of Downtown San Francisco, just around a block from where major companies and blooming businesses exist. Until this clinical rotation, I never thought about the lives of homeless people that I used to see in Downtown San Francisco. I remember being lost once in the streets of Tenderloin and getting scared of the fact that I was in tenderloin because of the bad

I was also able to help few clients that came with wounds and cuts. I also learned how to be creative with the limited supply such as with wound cleaning while maintaining safety and quality standards at the same time. Some of the clients felt better after praying and talking with staffs which made me realize the power of prayers and therapeutic words in the homeless population who do not have support system at home.

My experience allowed me to realize how the social determinants of health affect the quality of life. I heard about their experiences and stories about financial and social struggles. Many people who lost their jobs had to give up their houses and sleep on the streets. Because of lack of jobs that led to homelessness, people were relying on social security income. However, many were not fortunate enough to get accepted into SRO 's, qualify for health insurance, or even get a job.

Since they lived on the streets or the SRO’s, they had troubles with sleep, hygiene, personal care, safety, and food choices. There were people with disabilities that could not reach to places that provide free meals. I had encountered a person living alone who was amputated and could not go out for meals. She had home delivered meals often times, but that was not adequate. Janet worked with asocial worker to help her provide daily meal service to her