Homeless young adults caring for their health

Abstract

In this qualitative descriptive study seven homeless young adults in a northern town in Alaska were interviewed for the purpose of finding out how they cared for their health. The common barriers experienced by the participants in caring for their health were identified as hunger, absence of shelter, inattention to health, and the act of asking for help. Common facilitators described by the participants were access to food, resources, support system, and goals. Based on the findings nurses understanding the effects of hunger, lack of sleep, lack of support, and the stress of being homeless will be better able to assess the needs of homeless young adults. Findings support increased knowledge of resources in the community of practice and the culture associated with homelessness to facilitate the young homeless adults' health care and support them in their endeavors to secure a better future. Building a relationship with resource agencies within the nurse's community will enable the nurse to seek the assistance homeless young adults require for meeting their basic needs