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A busy night shelter is a noisy and crowded place: lots of people vying for attention, some fuelled by the alcohol and drugs they have consumed, each with their own problems needing attended to. Then look to the corner where an older guy sits, hunched over, warming himself by the radiator. If you were to ask him, he would have as many problems as the rest, but he would not be shouting for attention, trying to grab the interest of someone who might be willing to help. Ask him why and the usual answers are –
“There are other folk more in need of help than me”
“I’ve got my pride”
“It’s too noisy”
“I want to stay away from drugs”
Over the many years Streetwork has been out on the streets working with vulnerable people we had noticed that the voices of some older rough sleepers were often not heard amongst the clamour and commotion of city living. Experience has shown us that without someone to speak up, the older homeless people were largely overlooked, not on purpose, but because they weren’t shouting loudly enough!
Older service users have to deal with many other issues linked to their age that younger homeless people would normally not be affected by. Issues such as poor physical health, memory problems, feelings of isolation and loneliness, depression as a result of loss of loved ones and no longer being able to work.
In January 2007, after Streetwork was nominated as Standard Life’s 2006 Charity of the Year, the Older Person’s Team started operating. A team of two people, with specialist experience of working both in the field of homelessness and with the elderly, they now seek to be the voice of a largely unknown, or rather, unnoticed group, who generally take a longer time and need more space to build up trusting relationships.
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