Homeless older Latinos aging in place: Untangling stories from skid row

Background: Approximately 45,000 individuals over 65 years of age are homeless today. Best estimates show that the number may double, rising to almost 100,000 by midcentury. Yet, little is known about the most vulnerable and fastest growing group of minority homeless elders-Latinos. In this study, we explore the perceptions of older Latinos living in skid row Los Angeles; including factors that contribute to homelessness, health, and social support needs. Unlike mainstream literature that focuses on housing and job loss, this study advocates for advancing an ecological lifespan approach to further our understanding of homelessness.

Methods: Utilizing community based participatory guidelines; we designed a mixed quantitative and qualitative study. A convenience sample of 28 Latino men and women living in skid row completed a survey and participated in semi structured audio taped interviews. The descriptive and qualitative approach allows us to highlight participant's narratives, revealing how ethnicity, culture, language and sociopolitical climate contributes to homelessness, and the challenges for nurses to provide health care for marginalized hard to reach populations.

Results: The findings reveal how multiple pathways intersect as one becomes homeless, highlighting the need for public policy changes and an increasing need for nurses to advocate, challenge, and take leadership roles. Conclusions: While the findings call into question our health system's ability to appropriate care for and to respond to homeless aging minorities, this study posits serious implications, as it reveals a growing need for nursing to take an increasing leadership roles it today's public health, and policy arena.