Issues of Concern

Prioritise the Needs of the Homeless.

Activity: Ranking Needs

1. Prioritise the needs in order of most important (1) to least important (6) for the group and

2. Explain why the need is important.

3. Justify the ranking of the two most important needs.

4. Discuss the implications for the individual and wider society if these needs are not met.

Reproduced with permission.

Justification

Health is a high priority need for the homeless as it is interconnected with other aspects of wellbeing and has an impact on overall quality of life. According to Street Smart (2018) the average life expectancy for a homeless person is between 43 and 47 years. If health needs are not met the other dimensions of wellbeing will also suffer, consequently resulting in a vicious cycle of poverty.

Health problems are one of the biggest factors that prevent individuals from escaping homelessness (Homeless Health Care, 2016). The most common health problems among the homeless are mental disorders, substance and alcohol use, poor nutrition, illnesses and infectious diseases. Poor physical, mental and social health affects their ability to contribute to society. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare ([AIHW], 2011) reported that between 72% and 82% of homeless people suffer from mental health issues. People who suffer mental illness often experience social isolation and have difficulty accessing employment, education and support services. Due to homeless people being more socioeconomically disadvantaged they experience inequities in relation to access of health services and health outcomes. Therefore, if health needs are not met, the health of the homeless individual may continue to worsen, resulting in an early death.

Adequate standard of living (ASOL) is also a priority need for the homeless in order to survive and escape the poverty cycle. Most homeless people are seeking to fulfill their physiological needs such as food, water, shelter and clean clothing. Because of the growing costs of housing it is difficult to afford and therefore without access to shelter the homeless face many difficult situations. Lack of housing may jeopardise other rights and needs. During summer, homeless people are exposed to high temperatures and exposure to the sun which can lead to heat stroke, sunburns and dehydration due to a lack of water supply. Throughout winter they can face very low temperatures and without the appropriate clothing for the weather conditions they are unable to keep warm leading to frostbite or hypothermia.

It is important to maintain sufficient food and water in order to stay healthy and avoid becoming malnourished. Food insecurity may be particularly detrimental for the homeless, with studies documenting that food hardships and nutritional deficits for the homeless are associated with higher rates of health problems and chronic conditions (Baggett, et al., 2011). Therefore, an ASOL can decrease these risk factors and is important in order for individuals to achieve their full potential.

If you wanted to prioritise Safety and Security need higher in the rankings...

Safety and security is extremely important when assessing the needs of the homeless. Homeless people are increasingly vulnerable to physical and verbal abuse on a daily basis due to their exposure in public settings. The streets provide little protection against possible attackers. 24% of homeless people are in their position due to domestic violence (Homelessness Australia, 2016). This situation can worsen when an individual is homeless as one study found that one out of ten homeless people that they interviewed has experienced sexual assault (Australian Institute of Criminology, 2008). Therefore, they need refuge to not only keep them safe but to provide a sense of relief in the victim’s mind. Without refuge, a homeless person experiencing abuse would cause their physical and emotional wellbeing to become significantly degraded, which may lead to mental illnesses. In summary, homeless individuals require safety and security because of the extremely vulnerable position they are in.

Implications

Health

Failing to provide medical services to homeless individuals who face health issues will likely cause health problems to continue to decline when left untreated. For example, if the homeless are unable to gain access to health care it will become almost impossible to move away from the poverty cycle as they will be unable to gain employment, education, and their overall living will continue to be poor due to their illness. If society does not act to find a way to solve these health issues it will lead to significant social and economic impacts. The Australian Government spends $45,000 on services for each Australian experiencing homelessness annually (Homelessness Australia, 2014). The effects of health issues places strain on public hospitals causing a rise in hospital bills which are paid for by the government and consequently causes a strain on the tax payer. The implications of unemployment mean the homeless need to rely on government support such as a pension from Centrelink or worse case, may lead to increased crime through theft in order to survive. Another implication of poor health relates to drug and alcohol issues. Being under the influence of drugs and alcohol can cause violence as they are unable to control their actions which negatively affects the community.

Adequate Standard of Living (ASOL)

If homeless individual’s ASOL need is not being met it could lead to individuals disturbing the wider society by begging or stealing due to the lack of employment, which therefore leads to individuals ending up in prison, costing the government and tax payers more money. 35% of prisoners are homeless prior to entry into prison (AIHW, 2012). According to Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (2013) homelessness costs the government $29,450 more per head than the rest of the Australian population. Of this increased cost, $14,507 related to health care services, $5,906 related to justice services and $6,620 related to welfare payments which all costs the taxpayer.

Another effect is if the homeless are unable to gain access to food they may have no choice but to raid through bins which is extremely unhygienic and can cause illnesses, which therefore creates the implication of costing the government and tax payers more money in order to provide medical needs. Rummaging through bins causing health issues also makes it difficult to gain employment. Therefore, without employment they will continuously rely on the government and community services to provide for them. Homelessness impacts organisations who run charities because as homelessness increases, they will need funding which heavily relies on donations from individuals in the community.

Safety and Security

Lack of safety and security for homeless people can quickly lead to dire situations. In the case of domestic violence, previous abusers they had attempted to escape from will have easy access to their victims who likely have limited defense. Homeless people are exposed to environmental, random and symbolic violence (Robinson, 2010). Without safety and security, homeless people on the street are likely to suffer verbal abuse or possibly physical abuse from on-lookers which will have a significant effect on a homeless person’s emotional and physical wellbeing. This was proved in a study that claimed that homeless people were thirteen times more likely to be a victim to violence (Newburn & Rock 2005). Homeless people that aren’t able to secure their belongings are highly susceptible to robbery (Beattie, Girvan, Rayner, Rayner & Bell, 2014), which can dramatically decrease their economic and emotional dimensions of wellbeing. The implications on wider society can include increased deaths from violence, either from domestic situations or on the streets and an increase in the amount of homeless people who need to seek protective help from government funded organisations. In this way, if a homeless individual’s safety and security needs are not met, implications can become fatal.

Access to Services

What types of services do people within the group require access to? (FATLEECH)

Factors affecting access to services (CAR)

CAR:

Characteristics

Aspects of the service

Resources

All individuals need to access various resources throughout their lives in order to maintain their wellbeing. Factors affecting access to resources can include any circumstance or issue that prevents or limits a person or group from accessing services or other resources that they might need. Such resources might be available to them, but for various reasons they might find it difficult or impossible to access them. Not everyone has equal access to services. Not surprisingly, more services are available in urban areas.

Consider the impact of specific characteristics on access to services for homeless people:

• Age

• Gender

• Level of education

• First language spoken

• Culture

• Socioeconomic status

• Type of disability

Resources necessary to access services. For homeless people, a variety of services and support structures are available, however, the personal resources available to these individuals such as time, money, energy and knowledge, will affect their access to these services.

For each of the following explain how they can assist an individual to access the services that they - need. Give an example to support your ideas.

• • Time

  • Energy

  • Money

  • Knowledge

Look for services available locally in our community to support homeless people. Evaluate the level of support available.