As more seniors become homeless, shelters try to adapt : Shots

Simply exterior Salt Lake Metropolis, in Sandy, Utah, there’s an previous, two-story brick resort — now given new life as a homeless shelter for older adults.

The Medically Weak Folks shelter, or MVP shelter for brief, is for individuals ages 62 and older. Nevertheless it additionally serves youthful adults who’ve continual well being points.

As an alternative of sleeping in a big, shared area with a number of beds or bunks, the MVP shelter has semiprivate rooms designed to accommodate wheelchairs or different mobility wants. Every small room has its personal rest room, permitting dignity and privateness for older adults who battle with incontinence.

Not like the MVP shelter, most homeless shelters aren’t geared up to assist older individuals, particularly these 65 and above. They’re the fastest-growing homeless inhabitants nationwide, in response to Dennis Culhane, a researcher on the College of Pennsylvania. Not solely are individuals who battle with continual homelessness ageing, however many older adults have gotten homeless for the primary time of their lives.

Getting out and in of bunks, managing medicines and making it to a shared rest room in time are among the many main challenges of shelter life for older individuals. Employees at conventional shelters typically ask older adults to depart in the event that they’re unable to look after themselves.

The MVP shelter is uncommon as a result of it supplies on-site medical care to higher serve its residents as they age.

When Jamie Mangum tripped and fell in her room on the MVP shelter, she did not should go far for assist. Mangum, who’s in her 50s and has lung most cancers, wanted solely to make it downstairs, the place she noticed an emergency medical technician within the clinic. Her swollen wrist was rapidly wrapped, and she or he returned to her room. She stated that this would not have been doable at different shelters she has stayed in.

“There, I might have to attend hours versus are available in right here — be seen,” Mangum stated.

On-site emergency medical technician Emily Woolsey wraps the swollen wrist of MVP shelter resident Jamie Mangum after a fall. Mangum says that in different shelters, she would probably have needed to discover her personal option to an pressing care workplace to get remedy. She credit the shelter for serving to her cope with all her medical points.

Aaron Bolton/Montana Public Radio

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Aaron Bolton/Montana Public Radio

In different shelters, Mangum stated, she would in all probability have needed to discover her personal option to an pressing care workplace or get an ambulance experience. On the MVP shelter, specialised case managers have additionally helped her prepare remedy for her lung most cancers.

The shelter can deal with shoppers with complicated medical wants. “We’ve got shoppers that want reminiscence care. Perhaps they have been dwelling independently earlier than, however they have been unable to keep up that and obtained evicted on account of dementia or various things like that,” stated Baleigh Dellos, who manages the MVP shelter for The Street House, an area nonprofit.

Fast care and help are supplied by EMTs and the specialised medical case managers, however main care docs and therapists go to weekly. Residents may even obtain bodily remedy in non-public areas on-site.

A path to higher well being, and stability

The MVP shelter companions with the Fourth Road Clinic in Salt Lake Metropolis to supply medical care on-site.

The very first thing most new residents need assistance with is treatment, in response to Matt Haroldsen, with the Fourth Road Clinic.

When individuals are dwelling on the streets, common medicines might be misplaced or stolen. “Their medicines get jacked once they’re of their camps,” Haroldsen stated.

Diabetes sufferers who’re homeless typically bury their insulin to maintain it chilly. However they could overlook the place they buried it, or the vials can get too heat and spoil, he added.

Serving to MVP shelter residents get and preserve their medicines can stabilize their well being circumstances, Haroldsen defined. That permits them to show their focus to different priorities, corresponding to getting an ID or different paperwork they should apply for incapacity, Social Safety and numerous help applications that may finally assist them safe extra everlasting housing.

Nonprofits and native governments have opened comparable shelters in Florida, California and Arizona to satisfy the wants of older homeless adults.

Gaining access to specialised shelters might be the distinction between life and demise, stated Caitlin Synovec, assistant director of the Nationwide Well being Look after the Homeless Council.

In cold-weather states, denying older individuals a mattress due to mobility and different well being points might be particularly dangerous. In 2022, an older grownup in Bozeman, Mont., froze to demise after he was requested to depart a shelter due to incontinence.

Advanced medical wants can pose a hazard to different residents that the majority shelters aren’t ready to handle.

“A typical shelter does not enable someone on oxygen to return in as a result of that is such a fireplace hazard and danger,” she stated.

Giving older adults higher entry to well being care inside shelters is one of the simplest ways to assist them succeed as soon as they do get entry to extra everlasting housing, Synovec stated. That is as a result of well being points are a typical cause older individuals cannot afford or preserve housing, she stated.

Senior-focused shelters popping up in different states

The MVP shelter mannequin is exhibiting promise, each in Utah and elsewhere.

“Over 80% of the individuals who’ve stayed in our program this previous 12 months have moved into steady or everlasting housing,” stated Jacob Torner, vp of applications for the TaskForce for Ending Homelessness in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The nonprofit runs a shelter referred to as Elder Haven.

Jeff Gregg performs fetch together with his canine, Ruffy, exterior the MVP Shelter in Sandy, Utah. He says the specialised medical companies helped him cease utilizing opioids and get surgical procedure for continual again ache. He hopes that it will enable him to get a job and afford an house.

Aaron Bolton/Montana Public Radio

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Aaron Bolton/Montana Public Radio

The MVP shelter close to Salt Lake Metropolis can also be marking success. It was capable of completely home 36 older adults within the first 11 months of 2025.

Nonetheless, extra older individuals are in want of shelter than it could actually accommodate. Dellos, the shelter’s supervisor, stated the waitlist hovers round 200 individuals. The shelter prioritizes individuals based mostly on medical want, she stated, not time spent on the waitlist.

A spot to reset and get well

For residents who do get a room, the chance might be life-changing.

Exterior the shelter, 62-year-old Jeff Gregg was taking part in fetch together with his canine, Ruffy.

Due to an previous again harm, Gregg stayed hunched over as he threw the ball. The harm additionally fueled a decades-long habit to opioids, he stated, making a cycle that was exhausting to flee.

“Combating that, having a job, insurance coverage, then dropping the job, not having insurance coverage, going out to the streets and being again in that crap, and I might be again in the identical place,” he stated.

Gregg stated sobriety took a again seat to his extra fast wants, corresponding to discovering meals and a mattress in a shelter. For him, the shelter turned the primary place the place he might chill out and give attention to restoration.

“I used to be capable of get clear. It took me a pair months, however I simply saved plucking away,” he stated.

He stated the expertise paved the best way for him to get again surgical procedure. He hopes that with much less again ache, he can finally get a job that may assist him pay for an house.

This story comes from NPR’s well being reporting partnership with Montana Public Radio and KFF Well being Information.