Investor Presentaiton
People experiencing homelessness
The 2021 Australian Census estimated that more than 9,700 people experience
homelessness in WA on any given night. Western Australia had the highest
proportion of people living in improvised dwellings, tents, or rough sleeping
(23.8 per cent). People experiencing or at risk of homelessness have high levels
of social economic disadvantage and they are among the most marginalised
people in society. To improve care and care coordination for people experiencing
homelessness, the Chief Allied Health Office Homeless Health Action Plan
2022-2025 was developed. The plan outlines the actions required to improve
health care access, equity and quality for people experiencing homelessness.
Figure 7 shows how people experiencing homelessness are connected with
timely, safe and appropriate healthcare services. Implementation of the plan has
recently included the expansion of homeless mobile health services to Perth areas
with unmet need, to ensure people experiencing homelessness in Perth continue
to be supported to access primary health care.
Australia's first medical respite care service for people experiencing homelessness
who are being discharged from hospital was delivered in 2022-23. The Medical
Respite Centre provides clinical care for people experiencing homelessness
while also establishing support systems to deal with the long-term issues
of homelessness. Care occurs either post discharge from hospital, or as an
alternative to hospital admission. The Medical Respite Centre operates 7 days a
week and is staffed by nurses, general practitioners, key case workers and alcohol
and other drug services counsellors.
A pilot to provide practical support to people experiencing homelessness
presenting to hospitals was also implemented. The Homeless Discharge
Facilitation Fund pilot provides for the purchase of accommodation and
necessities such as medication and transport and aims to reduce demand on
public hospital emergency departments and improve safer discharge pathways
for patients experiencing homelessness. An evaluation of the pilot was completed
and will guide further improvements.
Figure 7: Services supporting access to primary and preventative health care
+
Homeless health
services related to
hospital care
Integrated health care
as part of supportive
housing
Ο
Homeless
health consumer
O
O
Primary and community
health care
Homeless health
services
Mobile homeless
health services
Supporting
outreach
Supporting
brokerage
Research and
innovation
Services supporting access to primary and preventative health care
CAHO actions
7. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Estimating Homelessness: Census. ABS. Estimating Homelessness: Census, 2021 | Australian Bureau of Statistics (abs.gov.au)
8. Homelessness and homelessness services - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (aihw.gov.au)
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