Health Promotion

POST #1: by Preston.

In the small community hospital, I work in one of our biggest populations for patients are those of the homeless population. The U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development revealed that there was a 14% increase in homelessness beginning in 2018 for the state of Massachusetts in comparison to 0.03% nationally (Voghel, 2019). The homeless population have increases in mental and physical illnesses. Some illness can cause these individuals to become homeless such as schizophrenia, alcoholism, and mobile disabilities (NCBI, 2018). Common illnesses that are in direct result from becoming homeless can include post-traumatic-stress-disorder, malnutrition, infections, and respiratory failure (NCBI, 2018). Also, conditions already present often become more severe due to homelessness such as diabetes and drug addiction.   As an APRN it is a duty to advocate for this vulnerable population. One way is to ensure there are no health discrepancies within health literature. Health literature is defined as, “the degree to which individuals can obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services necessary to make appropriate health decisions,” (HRSA, 2019). In our community most homeless individuals are at a 5th grade or lower reading level. There are also a lot of homeless individuals who suffer from severe mental disorders that makes concentration practically impossible. Taking the time to assess the patient fully to advocate what is the best comprehensive method of explanation for this specific patient will be vital.   Another way to advocate for the homeless population is to advocate for guidelines that will work for their unique situation. Setting unrealistic expectations will not only be unbeneficial but will also discourage this population who are already dealing with discouragement daily. During this specific time in our world we are giving out education/instruction to stay at home and to social distance. The CDC recommends that those who are homeless avoid public transportation and crowded institutions, but shelters are just that and unavoidable (2020). Therefore, recommendations need to be tailored to their situation and advocated accordingly. Emphasis on hand hygiene, providing face coverings, and instruction to seek medical attention with any symptoms will make more sense to instruct than that of social distancing.   Lastly, advocating for need of shelter is a tremendous need for this population. It is not realistic for someone who is homeless to be instructed to maintain bedrest for a week without proper advocacy for resources set in place. Having somewhere consistent to stay also helps with accessibility in healthcare services. For example, a patient with diabetes has a high rate of living a healthy life with today’s advances. However, a homeless person with diabetes often lack capability to test their blood glucose level properly, cannot store insulin in a fridge, and cannot maintain a regulated and scheduled diet. It is important as APRNs to aid in networking for these patients by advocating for them to local government authorities and housing authorities. References  CDC. (2020, April 7). Homelessness and COVID-19 FAQs. Retrieved from  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/homeless-shelters/faqs.html HRSA. (2019, October 9). Culture, Language, and Health Literacy. Retrieved from  https://www.hrsa.gov/about/organization/bureaus/ohe/health-literacy/culture-language-and-health-literacy NCBI. Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Health Care for Homeless People. (2018, January 1). Health Problems of Homeless People. Retrieved from  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK218236/ Voghel, J. (2019, January 21). 'No backup option': Shelters at their limits during winter. Retrieved from  https://www.gazettenet.com/Homelessness-hg-011819-22844768