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Homeless

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Submitted By sammydread5
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Homelessness is one social problem that has been around for decades. I chose this topic because my church ran a home for homeless men for 10 years in Brooklyn, New York. Most people have this preconceived notion that all homeless people have mental issues and dangerous. But it amazed me over the 10 years of volunteering at the shelter and seeing these men coming and go and learning of the circumstances that cause them to become homeless.
Homelessness has been and still is a social problem that has been and epidemic in our society. But with the increase in homeless, comes the challenges facing our health care facilities regarding access to health care. According to Nickasch,B.(2009) Homeless individuals expend tremendous energy on survival strategies such as obtaining food, shelter, and a place to rest (Capponi, 1997; McCormack & Gooding,1993). Only after these basic human needs have been satisfied are they able to focus on their other health issues.
There are basic needs that humans need to service such as He contended that all people are born with a set of basic needs that they seek to fulfill. Once the lower needs have been gratified, then the next set of higher needs emerge and fulfillment of them is sought. Maslow described the five basic needs in his "Hierarchy of Human Needs." The first set of needs, physiological, include food, water, shelter, sex, and sleep.(Byrd & Mcneal,2006)
Access to HealthCare Besides that they also have certain barriers such as access to health care. Five key conclusions were made: (a) the great majority of homeless people have an external locus of control; (b) most homeless individuals lack the necessary resources to meet their physical needs of shelter, air, water, and food; (c) most homeless individuals lack the financial resources to seek adequate health care; (d) access to resources is limited because of poor transportation, telephones, and mail; and (e) all those interviewed felt that healthcare providers lack compassion for the homeless.
According to Hancock, 2002 Homelessness is a matter of concern anywhere in the world, but it is a particular cause for concern—and shame—when it occurs in the richest nations in the world. Sadly, homelessness is a significant problem in both the United States and Canada. Accurate statistics on the level of homelessness are hard to come by. In part, this is because definitions of homelessness vary. It includes not only those who are living on the streets or in shelters and hostels but also those who are living in temporary accommodation or in housing that is unfit for human habitation. Estimates of the number of people without homes in the United States vary from 230,000 to 3 million, including

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