Family homelessness is a vital issue in the United States, as it is created by the combination of internal and external factors. Some of them include lack of affordability on a housing market, poverty, poor state support, domestic violence, and more. However, this issue is not purely economic, but also medical, as people are more vulnerable and are struggling to get appropriate treatment. Thus, nursing, as an essential part of the care system needs to ensure quality support for the most in need. Overall, studying three recent academic articles addressing the issue of homeless families can provide a better comprehension of how they can be treated in nursing practice.
The study by Cronely et al. (2019) explored the lives of individuals belonging to homeless families. These units defined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as an entity that includes one or more adults and at least one child that is under 18 years of age (Cronley et al., 2019). Moreover, these individuals experience the following circumstances: living in a place not appropriate for the human environment, such as shelter, transitional housing, or a prison (Cronley et al., 2019). Additionally, these people might be losing their primary residence within two weeks and cannot afford to keep the housing (Cronley et al., 2019). Lastly, a family’s current house is temporary and unstable, or individuals are fleeing from domestic violence and cannot obtain another residency (Cronley et al., 2019). Statistically, in 2018, individuals under 18 years of age create about a third part of an entire homeless population in the country (Cronley et al., 2019). Moreover, the research suggests that the numbers are equally high within children and teenagers that experience living in a homeless family across all cities and states.
Moreover, the article explores the contemporary data associated with homeless families. In Los Angeles, the number of under-aged individuals experiencing homelessness is about 5000 (Cronley et al., 2019). Furthermore, in a metropolis like Seattle, children and adolescents represent 22% of the overall homeless population (Cronley et al., 2019). However, the statistics are incomplete, as most homeless shelter providers do not accurately differentiate between children before 12 and teenagers, as it is not required from HUD. Overall, adolescence is a necessary period of human development, both physically and socially (Cronley et al., 2019). Besides, a body is experiencing essential changes of puberty and the time of socialization is particularly intense. Therefore, the inconveniences and stress related to homelessness can negatively influence children and teenagers during the vital developmental stage by “affecting the neurobiological structure of the developing brain as it relates to metabolism and social functioning” (Cronley et al., 2019, p. 132). Overall, individuals under 18 that live in homeless shelters are more likely to experience a health-related problem than children residing in permanent households.
Moreover, homeless school-age individuals are more exposed to damages in long-term emotional and physical health due to stress and impoverishment. The primary reason for such negative consequences is the lack of adequate access to appropriate quality health institutions (Cronley et al., 2019). For instance, there is a connection between stressful lifestyles among kindergarten-age kids and the probability of being admitted to a hospital (Cronley et al., 2019; Cutuli et al., 2017). However, there is still a lack of scientific research regarding the effects of poor nutrition and physical activities among the homeless population.
One of the highlights of the existing studies is the idea of a “hunger-obesity paradox” determined by the body mass indicator of homeless adults and the rest of the people. Another similar research in Minneapolis presented that 45% of children staying in the homeless shelter were severely overweight or obese (Cronley et al., 2019). Moreover, the national survey among the homeless population determined that a quarter of individuals experienced food insufficiency (Cronley et al., 2019). Similarly to the United States, Canadian scholars discovered that residents of homeless shelters consumed not a sufficient amount of daily calories intake.
Another article addressing the issues of homeless families in America by Chatterjee et al. (2017) suggests that the problem remains vital for the public health sector. Even though the HUD indicated that the number of this type of families from 2007 to 2015 has declined, the overall progress varies because seventeen states still experienced an increase in 2016 (Chatterjee et al., 2017). Furthermore, the amount of families that belong to a homeless category in the United States is higher than in any other developed country with over two million children statewide (Chatterjee et al., 2017). Family homelessness is especially detrimental for families because almost half of them include young children under six.
Furthermore, such individuals usually have unstable, temporary places to stay that are far from an appropriate support network, which makes it difficult to access proper medical care. Despite malnutrition, as was mentioned in the previous article, children tend to experience other serious health issues. Some of them are discovered to be “chronic illness, internalizing and externalizing behaviour problems, and dental decay” (Chatterjee et al., 2017, p. 2). Additionally, children are struggling socially, as they tend to perform worse academically and have problems with socializing than children with permanent houses (Chatterjee et al., 2017). In terms of parents, there are also health associated dangers, as they tend to be more exposed to sexually risky behaviour, high smoking rates, and mental illnesses (Chatterjee et al., 2017). Overall, the study explored the negative consequences of long-term poverty in children’s early life by emphasizing the vulnerability of homeless families.
Moreover, the facilities and institutions that are providing medical care for such families are excellent in meeting the guidelines set by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). However, more improvement is needed in terms of integrating extensive care into intense visits, as well as legal partnerships (Chatterjee et al., 2017). The study suggests that the extension of the most successful practices is regarded to be the most efficient way in achieving more significant results in this field. Overall, the most recommended tools were electronic medical records, diverse team of professionals, and partnership with homeless organizations and communities (Chatterjee et al., 2017). On the other hand, the most notable obstacles to successful care were patients’ immigration status, as well as lack of knowledge about the topic, time, and resources.
Lastly, the study that was done by Cutuli et al. (2017) focuses on the emergence of mental health issues in children living in homeless families. Children that experience residential instability are struggling with age-salient development duties, including low quality of academic performance and behavioural health issues (Cutuli et al., 2017). Therefore, the overall stress increases the possibility of poverty-relates health risks to occur. Another finding of the research suggests that possible health disparities are present for both low-income families and racial minorities (Cutuli et al., 2017). Thus, the overlap of homeless children, living in a low-income family that belong to a minority group are more likely to struggle from the abovementioned illnesses. The connection between homelessness and mental health can add to a discovery of new avenues for forwarding various appropriate contributors to health outcomes with several other services. This includes “case management, evidence-based mental health care, and supporting families” (Cutuli et al., 2017, p. 6). Overall, acknowledging the relations between stress and negative health consequences allows nurses to achieve better-integrated care for homeless families.
After analyzing contemporary research done on a topic of health-related problems within homeless families, it is clear to me that the free medical care sector needs improvement. Nurses play an essential role in choosing the most effective approach toward assisting children and other members. The research suggests that homeless individuals should be treated with respect and caution about the previous experiences that they might have had. Patients might be experiencing health issues because of the stressful lifestyle; a collaboration between various health specialists should be required. In my opinion, if a child has chronic illnesses, it is vital to examine the main reasons why such outcomes occurred in the first place. Overall, I should think critically while providing care to patients without a permanent house because the core values of medical staff are to ensure the highest quality aid.
In conclusion, families without permanent residence is a significant contributor to the homeless population of the United States. Children and adolescents under the age of 18 constitute the third of that number. The reasons why these individuals cannot afford permanent houses vary from poverty to the fact that they need to flee their previous homes due to domestic abuse. Studies show that situations of uncertainty and instability are contributing factors to the emergence of stress in the early-age, which leads to further psychological problems. Apart from that, individuals from such families tend to be subjected to other serious health issues, including malnutrition, obesity, chronic diseases, and more. Overall, the seriousness of the matter suggests that care professionals, including nursing staff, should take into consideration all the possible contributing factors and provide improved medical experiences to such patients.
References
Chatterjee, A., So, M., Dunleavy, S., & Oken, E. (2017). Quality health care for homeless children: Achieving the AAP recommendations for care of homeless children and youth. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 28(4), 1376–1392. Web.
Cronley, C., Keaton, C., Hopman, D. D., & Nelson, L. P. (2019). “I run inside the buildings”: Adolescents’ perceptions of physical health and nature in family homeless shelters. Journal of Children and Poverty, 25(2), 131–149. Web.
Cutuli, J. J., Ahumada, S. M., Herbers, J. E., Lafavor, T. L., Masten, A. S., & Oberg, C. N. (2017). Adversity and children experiencing family homelessness: Implications for health. Journal of Children and Poverty, 23(1), 41-55. Web.