This document discusses the vulnerable homeless population and their health concerns. It defines four categories of homelessness and estimates that over 1.5 million people are homeless in the US. The homeless have less access to healthcare and are more likely to experience health issues like substance abuse, malnutrition, hypertension, and frostbite/hypothermia. The demographics of the homeless population are also described, with most being adult males between 31-61 years old. The document calls for improvements like more affordable housing, jobs, healthcare access, and counseling services to help address the needs of this vulnerable group.

1. Running head: VULNERABLE POPULATION 1
Vulnerable Population: Homeless
Aaron Peterson
Becker College

2. VULNERABLE POPULATION 2
Vulnerable Population: Homeless
Aaron Peterson
There are multiple approaches when it comes to categorizing a set group of people as
“homeless”. Depending on which side of the ocean a person is on, they will get a different
explanation regarding a homeless person. The United States has instituted four categories to
classify a homeless person. The categories are as follows, literally homeless, imminent risk of
homelessness, homeless under other federal statues, and fleeing/attempting to flee domestic
violence (Nies & McEwen, 2015).
The homeless population comes with many health concerns. First, the homeless
population does not have access to a primary health care provider, meaning yearly check-ups and
physicals are not up-to-date. Second, the homeless person presents to the emergency department,
which is an added cost to the person receiving care and the country or state giving the care,
“Homeless people are high users of emergency departments (EDs) and during a 2-year period,
over 10% of ED presentations to a single Australian public hospital were found to be homeless”
(Moore, Manias, & Gerdtz, 2011). This puts a monetary strain on the state and emotional strain
on the homeless person needing the care. Third, the homeless person who ends up with a chronic
condition, serious or not, does not follow drug regimens very consistently. This is especially the
case when a homeless person must keep coming back to the hospital to get treated. Fourth, the
homeless person is more likely to find him or herself in situations where recreational drug use is
common, “The relationship between homelessness and perceived increases in drug use is
consistent with existing research suggesting that homeless youth are more likely to engage

3. VULNERABLE POPULATION 3
in riskier and more frequent substance use than housed youth” (Cheng, Wood, Ngyuen, Kerr &
DeBeck, 2014). This one fact opens the homeless person up to many health risks, including
conditions like HIV/ADIS, sexually transmitted diseases, and many drug related side effects.
Chronic drug use turns into long term conditions, which means the homeless person will need to
go to the hospital multiple times. Fifth, daily nutrition is not an option. This leaves the homeless
person susceptible to vitamin deficiencies. The pregnant female also has no access to prenatal
vitamins, which does not bode well for the fetus. Sixth, another major problem in this population
is hypertension. The homeless population only has access to the cheapest food available, this
means that the average homeless person gets a diet that consists of sodium and cholesterol. This
makes conditions like hypertension very common. Finally, in the chronically homeless client
who lives in the northern states, a doctor may see some homeless patients with frostbite or
hypothermia. These conditions are common in states that have cold winters and in patients who
do not have a shelter to retreat to.
The epidemiology of the homeless population is shrouded in inconsistencies. This is
because the homeless person in southern California may have different conditions than the ones
in Maine. In January 2012, an estimate of the homeless population was done. The PIT count of
homeless people were as follows, 364,379 individuals, 239,403 families with children, 62,619
veterans and 99,894 chronically homeless (Nies & McEwen, 2015). This brings the estimated
total of homeless people to 1,502,196. This, of course, is not a small number. It is also a
population in which this group of people are much more susceptible to diseases and conditions
such as schizophrenia, trauma, alcoholism and tooth loss or decay. This is a large group of people
who do not have access to health care on a daily, weekly, monthly or even yearly basis.

4. VULNERABLE POPULATION 4
The demographics of the homeless population are broken up into different groups. The sheltered
population are two-thirds male, while only 22.1% are younger than 18 years old. Most adults in
the sheltered population are 31-61 years old and minorities accounted for 60% of the total
sheltered population (Nies & McEwen, 2015). The individual homeless population consists of
mostly men, 72%, and 70% of the individual population are between 31-61 years old. Minorities
account for 55% of sheltered individual homeless population (Nies & McEwen, 2015). The final
two categories of the homeless population are families and veterans. Families are comprised of at
least one adult and one child. Women account for 80% of adult family members in shelters,
while 90.2% of the sheltered homeless veteran population were men (Nies & McEwen, 2015).
The health care needs of this population range far and wide. The homeless person does
not have access to any of the health care benefits the average human does. The homeless person
needs health care, jobs security and many supportive services. Supportive services are the largest
part of the necessary push to get homeless people shelter and care. The inadequacy of the
housing for the population is astounding. Affordable housing, more jobs and the need for social
and physical well-being are top priorities. Not only does the homeless person need housing, but
the homeless person is as risk for mental health problems, of which it would be beneficial to
have counseling services ready for the newly housed homeless person. This population deserves
mental well-being as well as physical well-being.
Preexisting barriers and improvements go hand in hand. Getting rid of any barrier
preventing this population from getting the care they need would be an improvement. More jobs
created by the United States government would allow the homeless person to make money and
ultimately afford food and health care, which would be an improvement. Opening free clinics in
the urban and rural areas would be extremely vital in getting the homeless population a yearly

5. VULNERABLE POPULATION 5
check-up, for themselves and their families. Breaking ground on new projects for shelter of the
homeless population would be an improvement. Finally, providing walk-in counseling at
colleges or hospitals would help the homeless person immensely. Being able to talk to someone
who can give the homeless person options is always a good place to start. Any sort of housing
surge, or push to provide care to these individuals would be an improvement on the todays
situation.

6. VULNERABLE POPULATION 6
References
Cheng, T., Wood, E., Nguyen, P., Kerr, T., & DeBeck, K. (2014). Increases and decreases in drug
use attributed to housing status among street-involved youth in a canadian setting. Harm
Reduction Journal, 11, 12. doi:http://dx.doi.org.becker.idm.oclc.org/10.1186/1477-7517-
11-12
Moore, Gaye, BN,M.P.H., PhD., Manias, Elizabeth, RN, BPharm,M.Pharm, M.NursStud, &
Gerdtz, Marie Frances,PhD., B.N. (2011). Complex health service needs for people who
are homeless. Australian Health Review, 35(4), 480-5. Retrieved from
http://becker.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.becker.idm.oclc.org/docvi
ew/1022709505?accountid=35619
Nies, M. A., & McEwen, M. (2015). Community/public health nursing: Promoting the health of
populations. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.