Calgary's Vulnerable

One of the most frequently talked about vulnerable populations are indigenous people. Unfortunately, I have not had the opportunity to work much with this group, however, do have experience caring for clients and their families who live in housing situations that are not ideal, either poorly conditioned, or on the verge of homelessness.

Within my community, we do not have the “visual homeless” that bigger centers such as Calgary do.

Campbell, O’Neill, Gibson and Thurston (2015) conducted a very small qualitative study in the Calgary area and were able to gain some valuable insight and conclude some future opportunities where the homeless can be better supported by our health care system and our government.

Accounts from several interviewees indicated that it is common in the homeless to feel apprehensive when accessing medical care due to the fear of authority, feeling of shame and perceived lack of empathy from the provider when disclosing the fact that they do not hold a fixed address. They had also commented that often the types of health care required, such as podiatry, dentistry and optometry are not accessible due to costs alone. Education was identified as a real need regarding communicable disease and the risk of transmitting diseases such as, influenza, pneumonia, skin and bacterial infections (Campbell, 2019).

The Mustard Seed (2019) in Calgary has help to support this vulnerable population by providing affordable housing, food, clothing, employment and income support. A real opportunity for improvement, would be to consider promotion of dental hygiene, foot care (especially for diabetics) and visual aids for those who need them. Contemplation for development of HPT services within shelters, transportation to clinics in order access appropriate medical care as well as continual advocacy for improved mental health support.

It saddens me to know that as our homeless population grows, our health care system still treats them as second-rate citizens. Considering the care provided to convicted criminals in our federal and provincial prisons, I am naturally curious what percentage of inmates are where they are today because it was a better alternative to homelessness…..

Campbell, D. J. T., O’Neill, B. G., Gibson, K., & Thurston, W. E. (2015). Primary healthcare needs and barriers to care among Calgary’s homeless populations. BMC Family Practice. Retrieved from https://bmcfampract.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12875-015-0361-3

The Mustard Seed. (2019). Services in Calgary. Retrieved from https://theseed.ca/services-calgary/