Homelessness and End of Life Care
Alison ColcloughHomelessness Project
Lead, St. Luke’s Hospice, Cheshire
Beginnings
Working together
A few harsh facts
•Homelessness Kills (Crisis 2013)
•The Unhealthy State of Homelessness – 2590 homeless people questioned 2012-2014 (Homeless Link 2014)
•The age of death for a man on the street is approximately 47
•The age of death for women on the street is approximately 43
More harsh facts
•73% of the homeless population reported physical heath problems and 41% reported suffering from a long term physical health problem (28% GP)
• 45% of the homeless population have been diagnosed with a mental heath problem (25% GP)
•80% of homeless people reported some form of mental heath issue
Local statistics
•Cheshire West supporting 317 homeless people at present
•In the past 37 months the hostel has had 883 people through its doors
• Of those 883 approximately 70% have needed support with MH issues
Where do homeless people WANT to die?
The DOH (2010a)suggests the way forward for EOL care for homeless people is within the hostel environment
National and local responses
Cheshire East
•Local YMCA introduced to the Hospital Discharge Team
•Links made between SLH and YMCA
•Befriending between SLH and S/A
•Lee’s Legacy (as yet unused)
•SLH and local housing provider links
•Invite local MHT to drop in once monthly
•Health Watch
Cheshire West
•Working with Homelessness commissioner
• GP service
•2 homeless hostels given EOL training
• 1 hostel has won funding for EOL bed
• Hospice to provide support
•Complex needs workers
•Very experienced counsellor
placed within designated GP
practice
What did I find?
•Hostel staff very compassionate
•Know their customers very well
•Best able to influence/support service user
•Need support with very distressing situations
•Need more information from medical team
•Can recognise physical deterioration but without training don’t always know what to do
•Need a link
Rising to the challenge
•Rough sleeping has increased by 37% since 2010
•NHS, social care, housing etc constantly struggling with fewer resources against increasing demand
•Working together across ALL boundaries using what we have
•Trusting our colleagues
•Recognising the need
Finally…….
Jason
John
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