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Homeless children and families: clinical and research issues
Insights
Homeless children and families received essential health services, with over half insured and receiving preventive care. Common issues included respiratory and skin problems, with health education being a key nursing intervention.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatric Health
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Rising numbers of homeless children and families necessitate understanding their health needs.
- Vulnerable populations face unique challenges in accessing healthcare services.
- Previous research highlights gaps in health service provision for homeless youth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe challenges in providing health care to homeless children.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of health services offered to homeless families.
- To identify common health issues and nursing interventions for this population.
Main Methods:
- Data collected from the Nursing Center for the Homeless at SUNY Buffalo.
- Analysis of health services provided to 470 homeless children and families.
- Documentation of health status, insurance coverage, and interventions.
Main Results:
- 56% of children had health insurance and received preventive care.
- 50% of children were healthy; 30% had common ailments like URI, skin, or GI issues.
- Health teaching for parents (50%) and referrals (20%) were primary nursing actions.
Conclusions:
- Homeless children can receive essential health services, including preventive care.
- Addressing common pediatric health issues and providing parental education are crucial.
- Barriers to data collection and service provision require further investigation and improved strategies.
Abstract:
The rapid increase in the number of homeless children and families has focused attention on understanding the health and related needs of this vulnerable group. This paper describes challenges associated with providing health care to homeless children and evaluation of those services. Data are presented from the Nursing Center for the Homeless of the School of Nursing at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Health services provided to homeless children and families (N = 470) documented that more than half (56%) were covered by health insurance and had received age-appropriate preventive health care. Of the children seen, 50% were considered well and 30% were diagnosed as having upper respiratory infections, skin problems, and/or gastrointestinal disorders. Health teaching for parents was the most frequent nursing intervention (50%), while 20% of the children were referred to community agencies. Factors that impede data collection and provision of health services for the homeless population are discussed, including suggestions for treatment and research approaches.