Grant: Summer Program in Aging

Homelessness describes a spectrum of living situations that range from a person being unsheltered (i.e. absolute homelessness) to being at risk of homelessness. It is estimated that up to 300,000 Canadians are homeless in a given year. Older adults (defined as age over 50 years), experience accelerated aging, have a higher number of comorbidities, and are a growing proportion of individuals experiencing homelessness. Despite these health needs, there is limited research on describing homeless older adults using population-based data. Our proposed thesis aims to use population-based data in Ontario to 1) describe homeless older adults in terms of their health conditions and baseline healthcare use and compare them to housed individuals, 2) determine the association between homelessness and healthcare utilization (e.g., emergency department visits and hospitalizations) over one year, compared to housed individuals, and 3) qualitatively interview older adults who have experienced homelessness and were recently hospitalized to understand their experience, barriers to care, and areas for improvement. This research aims to provide a representative portrait of older adults who have experienced homelessness. It will help to show how males and females may differ, for example, in terms of health conditions. It also aims to describe patterns of acute care use (e.g., emergency departments and hospitals), and degree of access to long-term care and home care. This will be supplemented with qualitative data on specific areas where gaps may occur. Identifying these areas of health inequity are important to improve health systems and develop tailored strategies to support individuals who experience homelessness.