Journal of General Internal Medicine
Physical, Psychological, Social, and Existential Symptoms in Older Homeless-Experienced Adults: An Observational Study of the Hope Home Cohort
Approximately half of the homeless population is aged 50 or older. Homeless adults in their 50s and 60s have a similar prevalence of geriatric conditions, including functional and cognitive impairment, as adults in their 70s and 80s in the general population. The majority of homeless adults over 50 have two or more chronic health conditions.
2018
Themes:
Older Homeless Adults: Can We Do More?
The average age of individuals in the US experiencing homelessness is rising. Between the early 1990s and 2003, the proportion of homeless adults aged 50 and older increased from 11% to nearly one-third. This trend continues.
Homelessness is associated with poor access to health care and high rates of Emergency Department visits and inpatient hospitalizations, and high rates of early mortality.
2011
"There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort."