Help the Aged and HACT are funding projects in the UK offering specialist services to older homeless people. These range from outreach and resettlement services to specialist training for staff and managers in the homelessness sector. Many older people, forced to sleep rough or who live in inappropriate temporary accommodation, are more vulnerable to the ill effects of homelessness.
Older people have specific physical and mental health problems that require a specialist approach.
Older people over 50 are the most adversely affected by homelessness in relation to both physical and mental health, yet paradoxically they often face the greatest difficulties in gaining access to vital services. The needs of older people are often ignored because their experience of homelessness is less visible than other groups and they lack the voice and representation required to highlight their specific interests and issues. The Coalition would like to see older homeless people gaining access to appropriate care and support and a greater investment in a range of move-on accommodation specifically tailored to their needs. Nottingham Help the Homeless Novas Ouvertures St.