Community health: A partnership between the Southern Health Board and the Simon Community in Cork involving a multi-disciplinary health team is having a hugely positive impact on the health of hundreds of homeless people living in the city, according to the Director of Cork Simon, Colette Kelleher.
Ms Kelleher said that the provision of health services for homeless people at a daily clinic at the Simon Day Centre at Anderson's Quay is proving highly successful. "It's unique in Ireland and it came about because officials in the health board were willing to take a chance and do something radical to improve the health of homeless people in Cork," she said.
Dr Don Coffey is the GP on the team, which includes a registered nurse, two community psychiatric nurses, an addiction counsellor, a psychiatrist and a health promotion officer as well as a team of community welfare officers who work with the homeless to try and ensure that they have all their social welfare entitlements including a medical card.
He points out that a team approach is necessary because homeless people often have complicated health needs which may require expertise in a number of areas and their health has been less a priority for them than getting a roof over their heads. Often they only come for medical attention when they have some acute problem.
Cork Simon helps some 400 people in the city and many who avail of its service have mental-health issues and addiction problems, he said. They also often suffer a lot of soft tissue injuries and lacerations from being assaulted while sleeping rough and many suffer from skin infections and very bad feet problems.
"It's very often about trying to build up trust - somebody might come in to you with a problem with their feet but you might notice they have an addiction or they might be suffering from depression. You can only treat them for what they present with, so you start off by treating the foot problem but you try and gain their trust so you can raise the other issues with them," Dr Coffey said.
The team tries to ensure that everyone who comes to them is registered for a medical card, but when somebody doesn't have a card, Dr Coffey can still prescribe medication for them by means of a generic medical card for the homeless in Cork, which allows the person get the medicine under the GMS without having to pay for it. "It's an example of thinking outside the box," he said.
This year, the project is costing the SHB some €500,000, but Simon Day Care Centre manager, Brian Williams believes it's money well spent. "It's offering basic medical care to people who, because of their situations otherwise wouldn't have it - we're hoping it can affect change in the life expectancy of homeless men here, which is just 42 years."