Health Care for Homeless People

Photo by Cheryl Jones of the NEOCH Photo Project

Healthcare Initiative at NEOCH

The staff at the coalition advocate for quality and comprehensive healthcare for all people as a key component to ending homelessness and keeping people housed. This includes behaviorial health issues such as addiction and mental health problems. The cost of out of pocket healthcare can quickly bankrupt a financially comfortable family as well as a family living in poverty. It is a given that routine and preventative medical appointment is necessary throughout life in order to fulfill the most basic needs, and typically more complicated and expensive medical needs are sought as a person ages. The effects of the economic recession have caused greater numbers of people to seek out programs that provide free and reduced medical care.

NEOCH has been researching healthcare among people experiencing homelessness the last few years. In 2008 staff surveyed 300 homeless people and published a report called Heading For The Emergency Room: Ohio s Inability To Care For Its Poor, which outlined the finding of the surveys. The survey highlighted the fact that emergency rooms serve as the only place that poor people living in Cuyahoga County can find comprehensive health care. The 2008 study showed that preventative and maintenance care are often left unattended. For example, the majority of those surveyed had not been to a dentist in three years. It is the hope of NEOCH staff that we can raise funds to hire a Homeless Healthcare Advocate to serve the people of Greater Cleveland, below is a list of the project(s) the advocate would work on.

• Review Entry/ Discharge policy for nursing homes
• Review and solidify an alliance with direct health care organizations to develop common intake procedures.
• Review the coordination of services to discharge protocol between and within the different health care organizations especially those responsible for providing health care to homeless individuals
• Survey and meet with shelter director to learn about their interaction with the local hospital. This will include following up to see if both the local hospitals and shelters are adhering to the agreement that the County organized a couple of years ago to manage discharges into the shelters.
• With the development of the new health care law, develop recommendations in collaboration with Care Alliance to improve access and discharge and intake methods.
• Create steering committee to carry out recommendations on how to best serve homeless people locally.
• Review other similar program and highlight two of those that could be used as a model for Cleveland to improve access and long term health care outcomes.
• Provide a point person (health care individual advocate) for those experiencing homelessness who can advise a person experiencing homelessness about the services in the community.
  

Currently in the community there are only 8 to 10 respite beds available (that can only accommodate men) at a transitional facility. They can reside at this facility for up to four months. Shelter, especially the local emergency shelter, are not designed to help a person recovering from illness. Emergency shelters do not allow persons to stay in the shelter during the day, and those living in non emergency shelter are often not able to be in their sleeping quarters during the day. There is also the fact that shelter residents have no one to assist them with personal care issues or to monitor medication or to provide appropriate dietary needs. Care Alliance does a good job with medical clinics at some of the larger shelters and a doctor and nurse do regularly visit nearly every shelter in the community. But there is only the one facility that is specifically designed for respite care to those recovering from a health care crisis and do not have a home of their own.

There are many wonderful organizations that provide free or by donation healthcare to those experiencing homelessness in the greater Cleveland area, undoubtedly these programs save lives and lesson the health burdens of poor and homeless people. Unfortunately, there is a large demand for all health care services including treatment, counseling, dental, and rehabilitation. In order to be a healthy productive person, regular healthcare screenings are required. This is especially true for homeless people who face inclement weather, excessive time on the feet, poor nurturing, sleep deprivation, poor hygiene, self medication issues, or a lack of mental health services. It is exciting that in the near future poor and homeless people will have the majority of their preventative care fully covered by Medicaid and additional assistance with prescription coverage. While poor and homeless people will still face large barriers to healthcare, healthcare reform will offer many needed services and hopefully be a stepping stone for more comprehensive coverage that includes addiction services, mental health and reproductive health services to all fragile population.

by Holly Lyon
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Time to Support the National Housing Trust

Sign on to National Letter Asking Congress to

Fund the National Housing Trust Fund NOW!

Within the span of a week, organizations from every state, DC and Puerto Rico have signed on to the letter - Thank you for your action!

Now, the goal is to get as many signatories as possible, including organizations from all 435 Congressional Districts, in order to urge every Member of Congress to support funding for the National Housing Trust Fund.

Please JOIN the national sign-on letter today. Please make sure every organization in your network or coalition signs on.

Let your Members of Congress know that your organization supports the NHTF and that their support of the NHTF will help your state build and preserve housing for people with the lowest incomes, and create needed jobs.

Please SIGN the letter in this link

Brian

Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Shelters and Housing Were Dropped

Only Public Housing Benefits in the Senate Economic Stimulus Bill

The assistance to homeless shelters were discussed as part of the economic stimulus bill, but it was dropped. There was no money for housing or the National Housing Trust Fund. The Senate dropped the $1 Billion that would have benefited the Community Action Agencies (CEOGC locally) from the House passed bill. The Senate did add $5 billion for improvements to Public Housing. We hope that there is a bill to address the foreclosure crisis in America, and these other housing pieces can be added to that bill. Since housing and the corruption and instability in the housing market was the impetus for this crisis, it would seem that there should be much more in the stimulus bill to assist people into getting back into housing. I am glad that Public Housing may get stimulus dollars, but all the other housing programs were also starved in the last eight years and need help. With a huge influx of money, we can put people back to work quickly in building, renovating and replacing affordable housing across America. Next time you see your federal elected official walking down the street let him or her know that we need to address the housing situation yesterday.

Brian
Posts by Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless staff and Board.

Jackson Request for Federal Help

Mayor Wants a National Urban Initiative

I really like the request that the Mayor made to the Presidential candidates in exchange for his endorsement. This is exactly what every elected official should demand. For too long the feds have turned away from American cities. We need a major infusion of dollars to reclaim the 20 years of neglect. I saw Sicko and 60 Minutes tonight about how much better they have it in Europe. They have accepted that paying more in taxes so that everyone has a better standard of living. With a better standard of living, crime goes down. People are safer, and have more time for family and living in Europe. When are we going to change?

NEOCH is pushing for a National Housing Policy like we had back in the 1960s and 1970s. We are going to push the new President to adopt a National Housing Policy in the first 100 days of 2009. We need the federal government to care that millions in the United States cannot afford a place to live. We need the funds that only the Federal government can provide to solve homelessness. Is it greed? Is it guns over butter? Is it selfishness? This path can only lead to continued unrest and eventual collapse.

Brian
Posts by Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless staff and Board.