Homelessness Case Study Essay

In my experience, my homeless clients have engaged in high risk health behaviors and neglected their health. These high risk behaviors include substance abuse, criminal activity, incarceration, and unsafe sex practices. As a result these individuals experience high disease burdens and mortality rates. Boston Health Care for the Homeless estimated that the total annual expenditures from ER visits was $16,011,738 annually (Thakarar, Morgan, Gaeta, Hohl, & Drainoni, 2015). “Multiple factors have been identified as predictors of frequent ER use in homeless persons such as older age, previous hospital admissions and emergency room visits, multiple primary care visits, perceived inadequate mental health care, poor health status, and HIV” (Thakarar, et al., 2015). Previous studies have shown that homeless individuals are frequent emergency room (ER) users and this leads to high health care costs (Thakarar, et al., 2015). Several clinical trials have shown that interventions such as intensive case management programs, assertive community treatment teams, or supportive housing can reduce frequent ER visits and hospital costs. (Thakarar, et al., 2015). The cost of providing case management needs to be weighed against the value of

This is a grant based job and they have limited our working hours. We reduce healthcare costs, but the value of our work is difficult to measure. Our emergency shelter allows clients stay for up to 90 days. During their stay we act as medical case managers. We encourage our clients to see their Primary Care Providers (PCP) and specialist to help address their health needs. It lessens the cost burden for medical assistance, but our outcomes are difficult to measure and it is hard to quantify the cost savings. We continue to encourage clients to see their PCP or go to urgent care rather than going to the