title: 'Growing Old' in Shelters and 'On the Street': Experiences of Older Homeless People.
abstract: Homelessness among older people in Canada is both a growing concern, and an emerging field of study. This article reports thematic results of qualitative interviews with 40 people aged 46 to 75, carried out as part of a mixed-methods study of older people who are homeless in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Our participants included people with histories of homelessness (n = 14) and persons new to homelessness in later life (n = 26). Interviews focused on experiences at the intersections of aging and homelessness including social relationships, the challenges of living on the streets and in shelters in later life, and the future. This article outlines the 5 main themes that capture the experience of homelessness for our participants: age exacerbates worries; exclusion and isolation; managing significant challenges; shifting needs and realities; and resilience, strength, and hope. Together, these findings underscore the need for specific programs geared to the unique needs of older people who are homeless.
authors.affiliation: a Health, Aging, and Society , McMaster University , Hamilton , Canada.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grenier
authors.affiliation: b School of Social Work , McGill University , Montreal , Canada.
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sussman
authors.affiliation: c Postdoctoral fellow , York University , Toronto , Canada.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barken
authors.affiliation: d Psychology , UQAM , Montreal , Canada.
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bourgeois-Guérin
authors.affiliation: e Public Health and Human Services , Oregon State University , Corvallis , Oregon , USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rothwell
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006707:Homes for the Aged / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011792:Quebec; D012934:Social Isolation; D057545:Social Stigma; D012944:Social Support
keywords: aging; homelessness; housing; older people; poverty; social exclusion