Conditions and Issues

Healing Hands: Exposure-Related Conditions: Symptoms & Prevention Strategies

Exposure-related conditions are a constant reality faced by homeless individuals who spend most days and many nights outside. Without shelter against the elements, they are dependent on mild temperatures and dry weather for a tolerable existence. And while some people who live on the streets may have tents or cardboard structures to provide a modicum […]

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Healing Hands: Pediatric Oral Health: What Every HCH Provider Should Know

Although the oral health of most Americans has improved since the1970s, people living in poverty remain at especially high risk for chronic dental disease, and the prevalence of dental caries among children aged 2–5 years has increased during the last decade. Financial barriers to dental care, poor nutrition, lack of awareness of serious health risks

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Documenting Disability: Simple Strategies for Medical Providers

A guide to documenting medical impairments in support of applications for Federal disability benefits (SSI, SSDI) published by the HCH Clinicians’ Network, National Health Care for the Homeless Council. This manual seeks to demystify the process, pointing to use of the Social Security Administration’s Medical Listing of Impairments and providing practical, experience-based advice for medical

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A Case of Trench Foot in a Homeless Woman

This article describes a cold-related tissue injury that may be overlooked by healthcare practitioners who treat homeless clients: trench foot. Trench foot is a preventable condition which can be mitigated by early intervention but which, because it occurs at above-freezing temperatures, might go unrecognized and untreated. The sequelae of unrecognized and untreated trench foot can

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Trauma Among Homeless Youth

National Child Traumatic Stress Network Culture & Trauma Brief: Discusses the challenges traumatized youth face when they are living on the street, including the relationship between trauma and youth homelessness, and offers suggestions for service providers who want to engage these young people in treatment. Download Research (Link)

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Healing Hands: Integrating Primary & Behavioral Health Care for Homeless People

Higher incidence, prevalence, and acuity of medical and behavioral problems among people who are homeless warrant the availability of comprehensive medical and behavioral health services. Limited access to mental health specialists, stigma associated with mental illness, and negative health outcomes relat- ed to undiagnosed or untreated behavioral disorders make it incumbent on primary care providers

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Healing Hands: The Challenges of Supervision in HCH: Helping Staff Succeed

Supervising staff in today’s health care settings is difficult at best. Patients present with complex needs, time and resources are scarce, and managed care requirements exert pressure to do more with less. But supervision in Health Care for the Homeless programs is fraught with a special set of challenges, including the need to oversee staff

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Your Mouth on Meth

Meth user’s teeth become blackened, stained, rotted and crumble or fall apart at the gum line. That’s why meth damaged teeth often cannot be saved and must be extracted or removed, even among young or short-term users. The large amount of tooth decay is due to meth’s acid nature and the fact that it causes

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