Skip to main content

Table 2 Resident baseline demographics

From: An Australian aged care home for people subject to homelessness: health, wellbeing and cost–benefit

 

All residents

(n = 35)

Median age at admission—yrs (range)

75.6 (67–81)

Sex (F/M)

12/23

Homelessness historya n (%)

 

 Experience of homelessness

13 (37.1%)

 At-risk

22 (62.9%)

Housing prior to admission n (%)

 

 Government housing

20 (57.1%)

 Residential aged care

7 (20%)

 Crisis accommodation, rough sleeping, boarding house

5 (14.3%)

 Private rental, independent living

3 (8.6%)

Referral source n (%)

 

 Hospital/Social worker

22 (62.9%)

 Residential Aged Care

6 (17.1%)

 Home Care provider

3 (8.6%)

 Homelessness service

3 (8.6%)

 Other (friend)

1 (2.9%)

Referral reasonb n (%)

 

 High care – health

19 (54.3%)

 High care – cog, psych, drug

14 (40%)

 Social

2 (5.7%)

  1. aFor homelessness history, residents were assigned to one of two groups: (1) experience of homelessness: including rough sleeping (e.g. living in improvised dwellings, tents, or sleeping out), staying in supported accommodation for the homeless, couch surfing or temporarily staying with other households, living in a boarding house or temporary lodging, or living in a dwelling that is severely crowded [6]; (2) at-risk for homelessness: residents actually had a history of housing, but experience poverty and may experience precarious or insecure tenure. These people are often socially isolated with limited or no contact with family, and often also have health issues [21]. For the purposes of this evaluation, included in the ‘at-risk of homelessness’ group were residents who had been living in Department of Housing accommodation, private rentals, or were transferred from another nursing home
  2. bReason for referral was scored according to one of three categories: social (e.g. domestic violence; no family support; not happy at previous nursing home), high care needs due to health status (e.g. declining health; unable to manage health independently; functional decline), and high care needs due to cognitive, psychological or drug-related support needs (e.g. unable to manage independently due to cognitive decline such as dementia, psychological needs; self-neglect). For residents who had more than one referral reason, the category identified as the primary reason by the clinical team at the time of referral to the home was selected
Back to article page

BMC Geriatrics

ISSN: 1471-2318

Contact us