The Plight of The Elderly Homeless

Imagine walking through the streets of Toronto on a cold night, the frosty wind airing through your tattered clothes, and your knees bending with strain as you walk. You cross the street unsure of where your final destination lies; suddenly, the lines between reality blur, as you look at your surroundings, scanning the unfamiliar street. For a brief moment you forget who you are, and everything seems unusual and frightening. After a few minutes, reality starts to slowly seep in again, and you gain your composure, and try to find the nearest place to shelter you from the harsh temperature…

Unfortunately, this scenario is a common reality of the elderly population that make up Canada’s homeless inhabitants. Dementia, Diabetes and Cancer are just some of the diseases and disorders that impair the elderly homeless in Canada. As the population of elderly homeless rises, there is a shortage of planning and community services to fully aid them and get them out of the downward spiral linked to homelessness. Furthermore, various disabilities hinder the ability for elderly homeless people to reach out for help and assistance.

Nevertheless, the shortage of services to the elderly is not the primary problem that impedes their capability to find a way off the streets; most traditional homeless shelters lack the design to support elderly homeless people altogether. Additionally, a certain stigma revolves around elderly homeless and homeless people in general, this provides a barrier for them to get proper medical aid and services. There are several factors that play into a senior citizen experiencing homelessness: Eviction, loss of partner, retirement, lack of employment, or even the inability to purchase a house due to inflation. Senior homeless people have poorer health, greater mortality rates, and die at a younger age as compared to the overall senior population, and they have a higher tendency to have alcohol abuse, when compared to the general elderly population.

So, how can we help the elderly homeless? Firstly, upgrading homeless shelters to have the proper equipment and environment to accommodate the senior population. Secondly, increasing the number of shelters and community services to help the maximum number of senior citizens on the streets and help them overcome their disabilities. Not only that, but improving healthcare to be more accessible for homeless senior citizens and increasing the amount of social service staff, so there is an increased level of accessibility for homeless citizens.

Equally to this, the government should spread awareness about the issues and obstacles the senior percentage of the homeless population face, and educate the population about how we can aid them on a local and personal level. Also, funding more research and programmes to determine effective plans to battle the increasing numbers of elderly homeless population, and provide them a safe, warm and secure roof over their head.

1 in 4 homeless people in Canada are homeless, and very few of this population consider family as a source of support due to various reasons. Isolation, depression, and disabilities all cloud the ‘vision’ of an elderly homeless person to find shelter and aid. By breaking down the barriers between ‘us’ and ‘them’ we can truly help these people and change their lives for the better good, and successfully break the stigma that surrounds them. Afterall, at the end of the day, we are beings on the same planet, and helping those who are elder to us, will not change that fact…

Citations:

Griffith, Cynthia. June 19th, 2019. Canada’s Homeless Senior Citizens Are Changing the Face of the Nation. invisiblePeople. https://invisiblepeople.tv/canadas-homeless-senior-citizens-are-changing-the-face-of-the-nation/

Unknown. 2020. Aging and chronic diseases: A profile of Canadian seniors. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/aging-chronic-diseases-profile-canadian-seniors-report.html

Alston, Jillian. July 15th, 2021. Older Adults Experiencing Homelessness. RGP Toronto Webinar. https://www.rgptoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/RGP-Toronto-Webinar-Older-Adults-Experiencing-Homelesness-2021-07-15.pdf

McDonald, Lynn, et al. November 2004. Homeless Older Adults Research Project Executive Summary. Institute for Human Development, Life Course and Aging. https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/2005/agendas/committees/rse/rse050301/it005.pdf

Ruck, Agnieszka. August 31, 2020. 1 in 4 homeless are seniors, and they’re ‘not really trying to hide it’. The B.C Catholic. https://bccatholic.ca/news/catholic-van/1-in-4-homeless-are-seniors-and-they-re-not-really-trying-to-hide-it