| |
Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
 | |
|
| A case study of a Canadian homelessness intervention programme for elderly people | | Author(s) | Jenny Ploeg, Lynda Hayward, Christel Woodward |
| Journal title | Health and Social Care in the Community, vol 16, no 6, December 2008 |
| Pages | pp 593-605 |
| Source | http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/hsc |
| Keywords | Homelessness ; Services ; Housing [elderly] ; Projects ; Canada. |
| Annotation | The authors report on the Homelessness Intervention Programme (HIP) offered by a multi-service non-profit agency serving low income families and individuals in a neighbourhood in Ontario, Canada. This study aimed to describe how the Programme answered the needs of older people who were homeless or at risk of homelessness, and the factors that influenced the Programme's ability to meet client needs. The authors used a case study approach to conduct 10 individual interviews and three focus groups with clients, programme providers, other service providers and programme funders. Programme providers completed intake forms, monthly follow-up forms and exit /housing change forms for each of the 129 clients served by the Programme over a 28-month period. Approximately equal proportions of clients were aged 54-65 (47%) and over 65 (53%). There were equal proportions of women and men. In addition to being homeless or marginally housed, clients lived with multiple and complex issues such as chronic illness, mental illness and substance abuse. Through the facilitation of continuity of care, the Programme was able to meet the needs of this vulnerable group of older people. Three types of continuity of care were facilitated: relational, informational and management continuity. The study confirmed the value of a continuous caring relationship with an identified provider and the delivery of a seamless service through co-ordination, integration and information sharing between different providers. Study findings also highlighted the broader systemic factors that acted as barriers to the Programme and its ability to meet older people's needs. These factors included limited housing options available; limited income supports; and lack of co-ordinated, accessible community health and support services. The central findings stress the importance of continuity of care as a guiding concept for intervention programmes for homeless and marginally housed older people. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-081126205 A |
| Classmark | K4A: I: KE: 3E: 7S |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
|
| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
| |
|