Student Name
Capella University
NURS-FPX4015 Pathophysiology, Pharmacology, and Physical Assessment: A Holistic Approach to Patient-Centered Care
Prof. Name
Date
Caring for Special Populations Teaching Presentation
Homeless individuals represent a vulnerable population facing profound healthcare challenges due to a lack of money and good social support. This presentation focuses on the unique health issues homeless individuals face and the challenges they encounter when seeking preventive care. It also explains the cultural background, health differences, and obstacles that negatively impact the health of this group. Nurses are important in promoting care that is compassionate, accessible, and respectful of all cultures. Education, community involvement, and awareness enable healthcare providers to deliver more effective care to this group, thereby reducing ongoing disparities.
Understanding Homeless Individuals and Their Healthcare Needs
Homelessness is a lasting health problem in the United States. In 2024, 771,480 people in the United States, 23 out of 10,000, were homeless in shelters, transitional housing, or without shelter (De Sousa & Henry, 2024). This population consists of people who are always homeless, families with kids, veterans, and youth. Patients in this group have many complicated health needs. People without homes are more likely to deal with chronic problems such as hypertension, diabetes, respiratory diseases, and infections of the skin. They have a higher risk of developing mental health problems, addiction, and not being treated for trauma (Padgett, 2020). Exposure to the elements, lack of hygiene facilities, and inconsistent access to food and shelter further exacerbate these conditions.
Not having a permanent address is a significant problem, as it means people are ineligible for health insurance, ongoing care, or prescription refills. Some people avoid healthcare due to concerns about stigma, difficulties accessing it, and a lack of trust in their doctors. Often, homeless individuals put their basic needs for food, shelter, and safety ahead of taking care of ongoing health problems. By understanding these challenges, we can shift from judging to supporting our patients. People experiencing homelessness should receive trauma-informed support, understanding, and consistent care over time (Brais & Riva, 2024). Good cultural care means nurses consider both the health of the person and the inequalities they face.
Cultural Values and Beliefs Relevant to Healthcare
People who are homeless can belong to any race, ethnicity, or culture, but similar life events often create similar values that affect their healthcare. A primary principle is to prioritize survival needs. Homeless people usually worry more about their survival needs, such as food, a place to live, and safety, than about medical care (Zhao, 2022). Preventive care is not possible when people lack the necessities they require. Homeless people also tend to have little trust in the healthcare system. This happens when someone is not seen, denied treatment, or treated unfairly. As a result, some individuals avoid going to medical facilities for a long time. Many individuals find that religious and spiritual ideas help them cope with stress. Managing stress, trauma, or illness can sometimes be achieved by joining faith communities or praying individually (Fitzpatrick, 2020). Being aware of these beliefs helps nurses guide patients in matters of medication, end-of-life care, and mental health care.
Because the population represents many different races and cultures, the beliefs they hold can influence their food habits, communication styles, and understanding of illness. Respecting different viewpoints when providing care is very important. Finally, many homeless individuals highly value their independence and dignity. Being listened to, spoken to respectfully, and offered choices in care fosters a more trusting relationship (Miller et al., 2024). Cultural competence in this context is less about ethnicity or language and more about understanding lived experiences, including awareness of how people navigate their lives, the challenges they face, and the disadvantages they encounter. Because of this, we can develop nursing strategies that are kind and work in practice.
Healthcare Disparities Faced By Homeless Individuals
Many of the health problems experienced by homeless people are due to factors in the environment that influence health, known as social determinants. Such conditions include unstable housing, poverty, unemployment, inadequate education, and limited access to nutritious food (Lee et al., 2023). Each of these factors creates barriers to managing chronic conditions and accessing consistent care. Homeless people tend to have more serious illnesses, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and lung diseases, that are not treated. Other mental health issues, for example, depression, PTSD, and schizophrenia, are also found in many homeless individuals. The lack of safe environments for rest and recovery further complicates these health issues.
Since people are unable to use regular insurance, healthcare, or transportation, they tend to visit emergency departments regularly, which both raises the cost of care and makes it uncoordinated. People often struggle to access cancer screening, vaccinations, and regular check-ups, despite their importance as preventive services (Zhao, 2022). When there are cultural or language challenges, children’s care may suffer. Consequently, people who are homeless are more likely to become sick or die. For nurses to address them effectively, they must understand how inequality plays a role and design approaches that are simple to implement, sensitive to trauma, and nonjudgmental. Understanding why these differences exist helps us advocate for change in the nursing profession.
Strategies for Culturally Competent Nursing Care
To provide culturally competent nursing care to homeless individuals, the strategies include:
Trauma-Informed, Dignity-Centered Care
A lot of people without homes are survivors of trauma from domestic violence, warfare, racial discrimination, or a life on the streets. It means that health professionals look at a patient’s past experiences to help them understand their struggles, instead of just paying attention to their symptoms (Brais & Riva, 2024). This process aligns with homeless people’s belief in their dignity and helps them regain trust in the healthcare system. Nurses must provide continuous, openhearted support while respecting the patient’s autonomy.
Partner with Shelters and Faith-Based Organizations
Collaborating with community shelters and religiously relevant organizations such as churches, mosques, or community centers can broaden nursing care by focusing on health, religion, or emotions (Fitzpatrick, 2020). These places often give homeless individuals a safe spot that fits their culture or faith. Working with these organizations, nurses offer better personal care, reach out to support networks, and gain people’s trust from marginalized communities.
Case Studies: Applying Culturally Competent Nursing Care
A program was set up to help those homeless in Southern Oregon, providing them with healthcare services. The program was designed using a model sensitive to culture and trauma that fit the unique needs of the patients (OHSU School of Nursing, n.d.). Staff nurses in the program received specific training to manage the frequent link between mental illness, substance use, and chronic health conditions together, which is often called tri-morbidity. Being treated in places the individuals knew helped decrease their stress and reluctance. Regular compassionate communication by nurses allowed them to create important bonds with patients, improving health and better health equity for this group.
A Somali refugee who was experiencing both homelessness and uncontrolled asthma was afraid to get the care she needed. Before, the patient’s devotion to their faith and customs of dress and prayer sometimes caused problems in strict care environments. Because she was culturally sensitive, the nurse tried to learn about his faith and scheduled care so he could pray. A nearby mosque helped her place families in temporary housing. Using culturally responsive care relaxed the patient, helped him follow his medicines, and ensured he got back to regular check-ups (Fang et al., 2023). We can see from the case that including cultural beliefs in care makes it easier for patients to heal and trust their team.
Resources for Further Learning
Nurses seeking to improve their knowledge and skills in caring for homeless individuals can access reputable resources.
- The National Health Care for the Homeless Council (NHCHC) offers comprehensive toolkits, clinical guidelines, and training modules on trauma-informed and culturally competent care for homeless populations. Their resources are grounded in equity and public health frameworks (NHCHC, n.d.).
- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides data, training, and evidence-based practices tailored to populations experiencing co-occurring disorders and homelessness. These resources support integrated, compassionate care models (SAMHSA, n.d.).
- In addition to online materials, nurses can participate in local community outreach programs and continuing education courses focused on health disparities, ethics, and patient engagement. These hands-on experiences enhance cultural sensitivity, reinforce advocacy skills, and strengthen the nurse’s ability to deliver care that respects each patient’s lived experience.
Continued learning ensures nurses stay informed and effective when addressing the complex and evolving needs of individuals facing homelessness.
Conclusion
Addressing homelessness generally means focusing on what matters to the person’s health and respecting their unique cultural and personal backgrounds. Offering care that respects cultures helps to gain trust, remove barriers, and improve patients’ health. Using trauma-informed communication and working to fix systemic differences helps nurses give better and kinder care to patients. Besides, nurses help people get access to the medical resources they need. Senior care needs to be sensitive to various cultures, which requires staff members to be involved in learning about their community.
References
Brais, H., & Riva, M. (2024). Towards a “trauma-informed spaces of care” model: The example of services for homeless substance users. Progress in Human Geography, 48(6). https://doi.org/10.1177/03091325241269757
De Sousa, T., & Henry, M. (2024). The 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress. hudser.gov. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2024-AHAR-Part-1.pdf
NURS FPX 4015 Assignment 4 Caring for Special Populations Teaching Presentation
Fang, M. L., Canham, S. L., & Battersby, L. (2023). Supporting intersecting cultural needs of gender and age by increasing cultural safety and humility for Housing First initiatives. BMC Public Health, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15955-7
Fitzpatrick, L. K. (2020). “Meet them where they’re at”: Faith-based and secular homeless outreach approaches. Scholar Works at the University of Montana. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11482
Lee, J. J., Jagasia, E., & Wilson, P. R. (2023). Addressing health disparities of individuals experiencing homelessness in the U.S. with community institutional partnerships: An integrative review. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 79(5). https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.15591
Miller, J.-P., Hutton, J., Doherty, C., Vallesi, S., Currie, J., Rushworth, K., Larkin, M., Scott, M., Morrow, J., & Wood, L. (2024). A scoping review examining patient experience and what matters to people experiencing homelessness when seeking healthcare. BMC Health Services Research, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-10971-8
NHCHC. (n.d.). Who we are. Nhchc.org. https://nhchc.org/who-we-are/
OHSU School of Nursing. (n.d.). Street nursing team. Ohsu.edu. https://www.ohsu.edu/school-of-nursing/street-nursing-team
Padgett, D. K. (2020). Homelessness, housing instability and mental health: Making the connections. BJPsych Bulletin, 44(5), 197–201. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjb.2020.49
NURS FPX 4015 Assignment 4 Caring for Special Populations Teaching Presentation
SAMHSA. (n.d.). Evidence-based practices resource center. Samhsa.gov. https://www.samhsa.gov/libraries/evidence-based-practices-resource-center
Zhao, E. (2022). The key factors contributing to the persistence of homelessness. International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, 30(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504509.2022.2120109