Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-g7gxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-17T18:17:05.419Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Homelessness among older people and service responses

Part of: Bespoke shallow archive Weizmann

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 July 2010

Maureen Crane  and
Anthony M Warnes
Maureen Crane*
Affiliation:
Sheffield Institute for Studies on Ageing, University of Sheffield, UK
Anthony M Warnes
Affiliation:
Sheffield Institute for Studies on Ageing, University of Sheffield, UK
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Maureen Crane, Sheffield Institute for Studies on Ageing, University of Sheffield, Samuel Fox House, Northern General Hospital, Sheffield S5 7AU, UK. Email: m.a.crane@sheffield.ac.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

This paper reviews the limited evidence on the causes of homelessness in old age and on the circumstances and problems of older homeless people, and it describes the few services dedicated to the group. Health care and social care professionals rarely encounter homelessness among the many problems of older people that present to them, but in many developed countries there is evidence that the number of older homeless people has recently been growing. Some among them have been homeless intermittently or continuously for years, but many became homeless for the first time in later life. The reasons for becoming homeless and the problems and needs of the group are exceptionally diverse. Many have been estranged from their family or have no living relatives, and they have a high prevalence of health problems and functional limitations. Although services for homeless people in general have improved since the early 1990s, few have targeted the needs of older people.

Keywords

older peoplehomelessnesshealth problemssocial isolationalcohol use
Type
Psychological and social gerontology
Information
Reviews in Clinical Gerontology , Volume 20 , Issue 4 , November 2010 , pp. 354 - 363
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1Cohen, CI, Sokolovsky, J. Old Men of the Bowery: Strategies for Survival Among the Homeless. New York: Guilford, 1989.Google Scholar
2Crane, M. Understanding Older Homeless People: Their Circumstances, Problems and Needs. Buckingham, UK: Open University Press, 1999.Google Scholar
3Kavanagh, K. The Battlers: Elderly People Residing in Insecure Housing. Sydney, Australia: Mercy Family Centre, 1997.Google Scholar
4Hightower, HC, Hightower, J, Smith, MJG. Out of Sight, Out of Mind: The Plight of Seniors and Homelessness. Vancouver, British Columbia: Seniors’ Housing Information Program, 2003.Google Scholar
5McDonald, L, Donahue, P, Janes, J, Cleghorn, L. In From the Streets: The Health and Well-being of Formerly Homeless Older Adults. Toronto, Ontario: Institute for Life Course and Aging, 2006.Google Scholar
6Aoki, H. Homelessness in Osaka: globalisation, yoseba and disemployment. Urban Studs 2003; 40: 361–78.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7Hasegawa, M. Economic globalization and homelessness in Japan. Am Behav Scientist 2005: 48: 989–1012.Google Scholar
8Okamoto, Y. A comparative study of homelessness in the United Kingdom and Japan. J Social Issues 2007; 63: 525–42.Google Scholar
9Shelter Partnership. Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan. Los Angeles, California: Shelter Partnership Inc, 2008.Google Scholar
10Watson, DP, George, C, Walker, C. ‘Falling through the cracks’: health care needs of the older homeless population and their implications. Res Sociol Health Care 2008; 26: 187–204.Google Scholar
11Crane, M, Warnes, AM. Single Homeless People in London: Profiles of Service Users and Perceptions of Needs. Sheffield, UK: Sheffield Institute for Studies on Ageing, University of Sheffield, 2001.Google Scholar
12Broadway. Street to Home Annual Report for London 2005/06. London: Broadway, 2006.Google Scholar
13Broadway. Street to Home Annual Report for London 2007/08. London: Broadway, 2008.Google Scholar
14Applied Survey Research. 2007 Santa Clara County Homeless Census and Survey. Watsonville, California: Applied Survey Research, 2007.Google Scholar
15Baltimore Homeless Services and Baltimore City Health Department. The 2007 Baltimore City Homeless Census. Baltimore, Maryland: Baltimore City Health Department, 2007.Google Scholar
16Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County. 2007 Homeless Census Summary. Tampa, Florida: Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County, 2007.Google Scholar
17Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. 2007 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count. Los Angeles, California: Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, 2007.Google Scholar
18Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance. Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance 2007 Annual ‘Point in Time’ Homeless Count. Dallas, Texas: Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance, 2007.Google Scholar
19Sonoma County Task Force for the Homeless. Homeless in Sonoma County 2007: the Sonoma County Point in Time Homeless Count. Santa Rosa, California: Sonoma County Task Force for the Homeless, 2007.Google Scholar
20Hahn, JA, Kushel, MB, Bangsberg, DR, Riley, E, Moss, AR. The aging of the homeless population: fourteen-year trends in San Francisco. J Gen Intern Med 2006; 21: 775–78.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21Sermons, MW, Henry, M. The Rising Elderly Population. Washington DC: Demographics of Homelessness Series, Homeless Research Institute, 2010.Google Scholar
22Chamberlain, C, Mackenzie, D. Counting the Homeless 2001. Canberra, Australia: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2003.Google Scholar
23Chamberlain, C, Mackenzie, D. Counting the Homeless 2006. Canberra, Australia: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2009.Google Scholar
24Greater Vancouver Regional Steering Committee on Homelessness. Still on our Streets: Results of the 2008 Metro Vancouver Homeless Count. Burnaby, British Columbia, Vancouver: Metro Vancouver, 2009.Google Scholar
25Homeward Trust Edmonton. A Count of Homeless Persons in Edmonton 2008. Edmonton, Alberta: Homeward Trust Edmonton, 2008.Google Scholar
26Burt, MR. Over the Edge: The Growth of Homelessness in the 1980s. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1992.Google Scholar
27Elliott, M, Krivo, L. Structural determinants of homelessness in the United States. Social Problems 1991; 38: 113–31.Google Scholar
28Lee, B, Price-Spratlen, T, Kanan, J. Determinants of homelessness in metropolitan areas. J Urban Affairs 2003; 25: 335–55.Google Scholar
29Cohen CI. Aging and homelessness. Gerontologist 1999: 39: 5–14.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
30Hecht, L, Coyle, B. Elderly homeless: a comparison of older and younger adult emergency shelter seekers in Bakersfield, California. Am Behav Scientist 2001; 45: 66–79.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
31Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness. Homeless Over 50: The Graying of Chicago's Homeless Population. Chicago, Illinois: Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness, 2007.Google Scholar
32Shinn, M, Gottlieb, J, Wett, JL, Bahl, A, Cohen, A, Baron, Ellis D. Predictors of homelessness among older adults in New York City: disability, economic, human and social capital and stressful events. J Health Psychol 2007; 12: 696–708.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
33Crane, M, Byrne, K, Fu, R, Lipmann, B, Mirabelli, F, Rota-Bartelink, A, Ryan, M, Shea, R, Watt, H, Warnes, AM. The causes of homelessness in later life: findings from a three-nation study. J Geront: Soc Sci 2005: 60B: S152–59.Google Scholar
34Rota-Bartelink, A, Lipmann, B. Causes of homelessness among older people in Melbourne, Australia. Austral New Zealand J Public Health 2007; 31: 252–58.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
35Warnes, AM, Crane, M. The causes of homelessness among older people in England. Housing Studs 2006; 21: 401–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
36Antonetti, E, Horn, M. Gambling the Home Away: A Study of the Impact of Gambling on Homelessness. Melbourne, Australia: Hanover Welfare Services, 2003.Google Scholar
37Productivity Commission. Australia's Gambling Industries. Canberra: Report 10, Productivity Commission, Commonwealth of Australia, 1999.Google Scholar
38Garibaldi, B, Conde-Martel, A, O'Toole, TP. Self-reported comorbidities, perceived needs, and sources for usual care for older and younger homeless adults. J Gen Intern Med 2005; 20: 726–30.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
39Gorton, S. Audit of Older Homeless People September 2007: Summary of Findings. Homeless Link, London: UK Coalition on Older Homelessness, 2007.Google Scholar
40Warnes, AM, Crane, M, Coward, S. The FOR-HOME Study: Interim Report. Sheffield, UK: Sheffield Institute for Studies on Ageing, University of Sheffield, 2009.Google Scholar
41Gelberg, L, Linn, LS, Mayer-Oakes, SA. Differences in health status between older and younger homeless adults. J Am Geriatr Soc 1990; 38: 1220–29.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
42Stergiopoulos, V, Herrmann, N. Old and homeless: a review and survey of older adults who use shelters in an urban setting. Canadian J Psychiat 2003; 48: 374–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
43Washington OGM. Identification and characteristics of older homeless African American women. Issues Mental Health Nursing 2005; 26: 117–36.Google Scholar
44Wright, N. Homelessness: A Primary Care Response. London: Royal College of General Practitioners, 2002.Google Scholar
45Burt, M, Cohen, B. Differences among homeless single women, women with children, and single men. Social Problems 1989; 36: 508–24.Google Scholar
46Evans, N, Dowler, E. Food, health and eating among single homeless and marginalized people in London. J Human Nutrition Dietetics 1999; 12: 179–99.Google Scholar
47Richards, P, Elliott, L. The Unseen Many: A Needs Assessment of Homeless and Near-Homeless Seniors in San Diego. San Diego, California: Senior Community Centers, 2002.Google Scholar
48Cohen, CI, Teresi, J, Holmes, D. The mental health of old homeless men. J Am Geriatr Soc 1988; 36: 492–501.Google Scholar
49Cohen, CI, Ramirez, M, Tersi, J, Gallagher, M, Sokolovsky, J. Predictors of becoming redomiciled among older homeless women. The Gerontologist 1997; 37: 67–74.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
50Kutza, E. A Study of Undomiciled Elderly Persons in Chicago: A Final Report. Chicago, Illinois: Retirement Research Foundation, 1997.Google Scholar
51Ladner, S. The elderly homeless. In Robertson, M, Greenblatt, M (eds). Homelessness: A National Perspective. New York: Plenum, 1992; pp. 221–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
52Crane, M, Warnes, AM. Lessons from Lancefield Street: Tackling the Needs of Older Homeless People. London: Homeless Link, 2000.Google Scholar
53Fischer, PJ, Breakey, WR. The epidemiology of alcohol, drug, and mental disorders among homeless persons. Am Psychologist 1991; 46; 1115–28.Google Scholar
54Rich, D, Rich, T, Mullins, L. Old and Homeless – Double Jeopardy: An Overview of Current Practice and Policies. Westport, Connecticut: Auburn House, 1995.Google Scholar
55Wright, JD. Address Unknown: The Homeless in America. New York: Aldine de Gruyter, 1989.Google Scholar
56DeMallie, DA, North, CS, Smith, EM. Psychiatric disorders among the homeless: a comparison of older and younger groups. The Gerontologist 1997; 37: 61–66.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
57St Mungo's, . Biggest Ever Survey into the Problems of Homeless People: 50:50 The Big Stat. London: St Mungo's, 2004.Google Scholar
58Crane, M, Warnes, AM. Responding to the needs of older homeless people: the effectiveness and limitations of British services. Innovation: Eur J Social Sci Res 2005; 18: 137–52.Google Scholar
59O'Connell, JJ, Roncarati, J, Reilly, EC, Kane, CA, Morrison, SK, Swain, SE, Allen, JS, Jones, K. Old and sleeping rough: elderly homeless persons on the streets of Boston. Care Management J 2004; 5: 101–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
60Culhane, DP, Kuhn, R. Patterns and determinants of public shelter utilization among homeless adults in New York City and Philadelphia. J Policy Analysis Management 1998; 17: 23–43.3.0.CO;2-J>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
61Busch-Geertsema, V. When homeless people are allowed to decide by themselves: rehousing homeless people in Germany. Eur J Social Work 2002; 5: 5–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
62Crane, M, Warnes, AM. Resettling Older Homeless People: A Longitudinal Study of Outcomes. Sheffield, UK: Sheffield Institute for Studies on Ageing, University of Sheffield, 2002.Google Scholar
63Hallebone, E. Homelessness and marginality in Australia: Young and old people excluded from independence, pp. 69–103. In Huth, M, Wright, T (eds), International Critical Perspectives on Homelessness. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger, 1997.Google Scholar
64Crane, M, Warnes, AM. The outcomes of rehousing older homeless people: a longitudinal study. Ageing Society 2007; 27: 895–922.Google Scholar
65Warnes, AM, Crane, M, Whitehead, N, Fu, R. Homelessness Factfile. London: Crisis, 2003.Google Scholar
66Cebulla, A, Rice, B, Tomaszewski, W, Hough, J. Profiling London's Rough Sleepers: A Longitudinal Analysis of CHAIN Data. London: Broadway, 2009.Google Scholar
67St Mungo's, . City and St Mungo's to open B&B-style Accommodation for Older Rough Sleepers. London: St Mungo's, 2010. Available online at: http://www.mungos.org/press_office (accessed 24 April 2010).Google Scholar
68Rota-Bartelink, A, Lipmann, B. Supporting the long-term residential care needs of older homeless people with severe alcohol-related brain injury in Australia: the Wicking Project. Care Management J 2007; 8: 141–48.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
69Gonyea, JG, Bachman, SS. Ending Elder Homelessness: the Importance of Service-Enriched Housing. Boston, Massachusetts: Hearth, 2009.Google Scholar