Many arguments stand the existing health care system does not efficiently address the health care that is needed for homeless people (Currie, Greaves, Golden, & Latimer, 1999, p. 103). Many assumed that people who have the access to the health care system are usually have a stable housing and social support in place, but this is not the case for many homeless individual, it is the opposite. Which can a problem for the health care system. The most expressed solution to the issue for homeless people are modified primary care tactics and housing solutions.
Modified primary care tactics fall under health policy, it explores the difference between homeless people who have access to primary care than non-homeless individual accessing it. This included thing like the illness that many homeless face and number of financial and no-financial barriers that prevented them from access the health care. To solve the problem, it needs to address the barriers that it will facing. Some of the barriers include the ability to provide care to people who lack a provincial health cards, providing care without the needs of medication or the supplies of medication that is not be covered by the health care system, providing better transportation ,the providing better service that homeless individual faced who are living in certain areas and the changing of health care provider to be more understanding ad trustworthy to homeless individual. So many of them don’t feel being stigmatization that could keep form receiving better (Shortt, Hwang, Stuart, Bedore, Zurba ; Darling, 2008)
Short et. al (2008) research about collection on primary care models and look at the three alternative models of primary care that be better for the care of homeless individual. The first model is “targeted standard facility/clinic site,” was based off of research that was conducted in he United states. The characteristic of the clinic is the same as any family physician s office, which include the focus on immediate care for acute illness, screening and give health education. as for homeless need, most clinic are often located near shelters having a schedule hour from daytime to evening. The purpose of this model is to help integrate users into the health care, while it also providing care to patient, so many would not have to resort to visiting the hospital emergency department.
The second model is “fixed outreach site,”, which is like the first model due to focus on its service areas, however the different of it form the pervious one is that it provides care in a location that will be more accessible to people who are not or reach out for care. Most of the fixed outreach site location are usually located with shelters, community drop-in centres, and transitional housing settings. In addition of providing immediate care to many homeless individual, one of it main goal of fixed outreach site is to inspire repeat use of health care services by patients to restore them into the health system. Many outreach clinics are also connected to many health and social agencies as a way for providing better care services.
The last model, “mobile outreach service,” is one of the model that is helpful to homeless individual than pervious model, due to it operates from vehicles at sites such as on the street. However, some of the disadvantage that this model have is unable to provide a wide array of services due to absence of space and equipment. Some of the mobile outreach service include diagnosis, screening, prevention, education, and referrals to other agencies and most of this service are often lead by a nurse practitioner teams
All three models are some solution that will be helpful to many homeless individuals. By breaking the barriers that effect many individuals, the three models are an attempt to provide better access care for them and it also hope to provide treatment care to homeless individuals whom are still roaming the street. The implementation of the three models of primary care would significant health policy reformation. However, the research signifying the need for such models is plentiful and clear. It also hoped that the effectiveness of the three models will similar to the same care that the average citizens received. But for this model to be affect, it needs that concrete support for the continuity of care.
Many researcher and other educators have explained how safe housing the final step is to solve the health issues homeless individuals. While this solution is not under the area of health policy, it does draw attention of its importance involving many researchers and from other sectors of the public policy for a long term to creating a long -term solutions for homeless and poor health. Many researchers who focus their study explain about the housing first. Power (2008) states, “Decent, safe and affordable housing is a basic human necessity. Without it, there is no foundation for people to thrive and enjoy good health, personal security, and stable communities.” And (Hwang, Fuller-Thomson, Hulchanski, Bryant, Habib, Regoeczi, 1999, p.iii) explain the relationship between housing and health acts in two ways, which is how housing affect health and how health also affect housing. The positive impact that housing have on housing is when it is affordable, safe and clean. Within Canada, the housing environment have been rather unsupportive of decreasing the population from been at the risk of being homeless. Due to the rising cost of housing and growth of insecure employment. It also increasing the problem of getting people of the street. Bryant (2008) explain the various problem that housing crisis have on health “homelessness, the experience of poor living conditions, and the effects of housing insecurity on other social determinants of health.”. in order to achieve an environment where it possible for people return to or being ending up of street, there need to be changes to the housing policy.
