Reasons For Homelessness In Montgomery County

HOMELESSNESS IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Homelessness is a huge and complex issue in Montgomery county which includes veterans, children families and elderly population. Homelessness not only happens in the state of Maryland or large cities but in can happen anywhere we go. “On a single night in 2016, 549,928 people were experiencing homelessness in the United States”(Henry, 2016). There are many issues that can lead to homelessness such as lack of education, mental illness, economic and social stabilities. “Reasons for homelessness include poverty, lack affordable housing, unemployment, lack or inadequacy of government financial support, crime, violence, lack of kin support, mental illness, substance, and socially stigmatizing infectious diseases”
“With respect of gender, the majority of the single homeless individuals are men (67.5%)” (Clark, 2015, p. 556). According to Clark homeless women are those who are abused or domestic violence, and 50% of homeless veterans are under 51 years of age and approximately 40% African Americans following Hispanic population. Most of the homeless people are present with some kind of diseases. “More often than causing homelessness, however, health care system factors make it more difficult for poor and homeless individuals to obtain health care and to prevent or resolve health problems” (Clark, 2015, p. 567). Therefore, as community nurses, we should outreach and provide homeless people needed health care such as influenza vaccine and routine immunizations, nutrition and if possible provide universal access to health care from state. Another big addition would be great for community nurse to advocate for “Population health nurses may also be involved in educating local law enforcement, youth, and the general public about homelessness to prevent bias, discrimination, and hate crimes against the homeless” (Clark, 2015, p. 573). When I serve the homeless people through Catholic church I find that some homeless people are bitten, laughed at, pushed, or even sexually abused. I believe as health care providers should advocate against this kind of cruelness to other people
Every human being has right to live in adequate homes with warmth and safety. However, environmental factors such as harsh weathers, overcrowded and poor sanitary conditions, domestic violence, not being able to obtain and preparing food, personal security and luck of access to treatment will affect people’s health. “When emergency shelter, motel or rapid re‐housing options are not available, individuals and families experiencing homelessness may take shelter in potentially unsafe habitations, including cars, abandoned buildings or encampments”("Annual Report on Homelessness," 2015). Prolonged exposure to cold or heat can have significant health consequences in homeless people. Therefore, hypothermia and hyperthermia are occurring primarily in persons who are homeless and living on the streets due to Maryland’s harsh weather conditions. “Overcrowding and poor sanitary conditions in homeless shelters contribute to the spread of communicable diseases among a population that is already debilitated by exposure and poor nutritional status”. (Clark, 2015, p. 558). Even though, Tuberculosis transmission is one of rapidly spread in overcrowded shelters according to CDC “In the United States, 1% of the population experiences homelessness in a given year, but more than 5% of people with TB reported being homeless within the year prior to diagnosis”("TB in the