homelessness
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HOMELESSNESS. Emma Hamilton. What is the issue? - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
HOMELESSNESSEmma Hamilton
What is the issue?
There are many issues towards homelessness. Being homeless causes damage to the individuals health, threatens the individuals safety, the lack of security which may leave the homeless more exposed to assaults, stress, depression and mental illness. Homeless are faced with many difficulties, such as: privacy, safe keeping of bedding, clothing and possessions, which may have to be carried at all times, hygiene and sanitary facilities, cleaning of clothes, storing food and keeping contacts considering they don’t have a permanent location or mailing address . Having a quality life is a human right, although, each day 105, 000 Australians are without safe, secure and affordable housing.
NOTE-Tonight half of Australia's homeless will stay with friends or family. About 2 in every 7 will find a bed in a boarding house. A lucky 1 in every 7 will find a bed in the homeless service system. 1 in every 7 will sleep rough on the streets of our cities and towns.
Why is it considered to be a determinant of health?
Homelessness is considered to be a determinant of health as they are at a high risk of many illnesses. The population of homeless do not receive the services they need to help them through their health problems. It is said that being homeless can shorten your life expectancy by 20 years.
Background information
Being homeless is when you have no permanent home or address. Buildings, areas under bridges, bus stations, cheap hotels and streets, may be where they live. In the world it is said that there is about 100 million homeless people. The main reasons of the homelessness are unemployment, low income, housing, untreated mental illness, drug problems & family difficulties.
Primary homelessness, which includes all people without accommodation, such as people living on the streets, sleeping in parks, buildings, or using cars or railway carriages for temporary shelter.
Secondary homelessness includes people who move frequently from one place of temporary shelter to another. This includes all people staying in emergency or accommodation provided by the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP). Secondary homelessness also includes people living temporarily with other households because they have no accommodation of their own and people staying in boarding houses for a short period of time, 12 weeks or less.
Tertiary homelessness refers to people who live in boarding houses on a medium to long period of time, 13 weeks or longer.
From conception to death, the experience of homelessness affects each of the physical, emotional, social and intellectual dimensions of health.
Physical.Homelessness affects the physical health in many ways. Homeless children have many physical health affects, development being the main one. As a child, being able to develop means having a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately homelessness doesn't have a healthy life style impacting on the physical health of a homeless child. The environment which any homeless live in, contributes to the individuals poor physical health.This will leave the homeless at a higher risk of many illnesses, such as a high risk for infectious diseases.Poor nutrition also contributes to homeless individual’s poor health. Not being able to access a health care mayincrease the poor health of the homeless. Half of homeless individuals ,experience two or more illnesses per month.
Emotional.
Homeless are often dealing with stressful and traumatic times in their life, leading to severe emotional issues. Stressful issues and changes can result in a higher rate of mental disorders, which can lead into the individual’s behaviour. Homeless worry about where they will sleep and worry about their physical safety, especially with violence. Self-concept within homeless can be very depressing and suicidal. They normally don't no how their emotions feel . Managing their emotions is a major thing for homelessness, as to how they live their lives. Referring to a case study in the key concepts in VCE Health & Human Development text book, Rebecca’s story is a sad & depressing life for this young girl. Being able to control her emotions , she spent moments of her life slashing her arms.
Intellectual.
Homeless children’s intellectual health is poor by many circumstances of their homelessness, such as constant mobility. Children that are homeless are more likely to have poor results on maths, reading, spelling and their vocabulary. Knowledge of homeless is decreased and doesn't’ develop especially for the children, the knowledge of language will be impacted on as they are not socially active, memory may be lost, and don't get the chance to learn you skills with the isolation. Homeless families don’t have priority access to services that can decrease the effects of homelessness, such as supportive housing, drug and alcohol treatment, parenting support, afterschool programs and nutritional support. The young children of families who have experienced the traumatic effects of homelessness don’t have the chance to interact with others making a big issue towards their intellectual health.
Social.
The way people see homeless impacts on how they socially behave. Homeless are isolated and are not cared about much. Homeless don’t have the chance to interact with others leaving their social development skills very poor. They tend to miss the understanding of how to behave in a relationship.
Soio-economic factors: •Housing under-supply•Unaffordable housing•Unemployment•Deinstitutionalisation•Poverty•Poor education•Relationship breakdown and changes to family restructures•Limited access to public housing•Lack of coordination between agencies•Discrimination by landlords
Social exclusion: •Lack of personal ability and income•Domestic and family violence•Sexual, physical or emotional abuse•Lack of education•Problems with employment•Lack of social networks•Lack of knowledge of resources•High levels of family conflict or stress•Low levels of social attachment
Homeless population by age, 2001
Number of homeless people per homeless category, 2001
Bibliography
http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/housing/progserv/homelessness/Documents/homelessness_report/section1.htm
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ph-sp/oi-ar/09_housing-eng.php
http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/cherwell/grs/homebgd.html
http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=243&np=295&id=2456
http://www.hreoc.gov.au/human_rights/housing/homelessness_2008.html
http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/community/homelessnessservices/InformationKitForVolunteers/Module3/Default.asp
http://www.aph.gov.au/library/intguide/sp/homeless.htm
http://www.framepublishing.com/2011/03/04/primary-prevention-and-social-behavioral-and-environmental-factors-in-homelessness/http://www.fhfund.org/_dnld/reports/SupportiveChildren.pdf
