Homeless Older Populations : A Practical Guide for the Interdisciplinary Care Team

Filled with key insights and field-tested knowledge, this is a concise, hands-on guide to how interdisciplinary team strategies can advance the care of older homeless adults. The book encompasses research evidence, education-based initiatives, and systems thinking, and describes how to implement promising health care outlooks for diverse elderly populations in a variety of localities.

Chapters address the many challenges to caring for homeless individuals by integrating a team vision for adopting transformation and geriatrics health care workforce education. The book provides an overview of population demographics and trends and discusses specific medical/psychological care challenges including the spread of infectious diseases. It covers the delivery of care to homeless patients, complex ethical and legal issues, housing, social economics, family disruption and abuse, end-of-life considerations, and political and policy challenges. With abundant case studies and discussions about successes and failures in homeless geriatric health care, the book provides a framework for the joint efforts of social worker, nurse, mental health professional, physician, and other health care professionals to provide optimal care for older homeless populations.

KEY FEATURES:

• Presents the most current resources, evidence, and developments for interdisciplinary care of older homeless populations
• Written by an interprofessional health care workforce with abundant clinical and academic experience in the field
• Focuses on implementing, developing, and adopting health care strategies to provide for care of the frail homeless elderly
• Includes case studies and discussions of successes and failures
• Addresses challenges, barriers, resolutions, and opportunities for homeless geriatric care

Diane Chau, MD, is Associate Professor at UC San Diego. She is also the Medical Director of GeriJoy, a tele-monitoring device company for seniors.

Arnold P. Gass, MD, FACP, an internist and geriatrician, is Health Sciences Clinical Professor of Medicine Emeritus at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.