I was unprepared to deal with a homeless patient today. I won’t be tomorrow.

I met a woman today who was well-groomed, articulate, insightful and undeniably intelligent. She provided succinct responses and understood the matter at hand. Our ability to treat her, though, will likely be derailed in two weeks when she will once again become homeless. In the midst of a booming job market in my area lies a cluster of people who are unable to find work — either due to transportation issues, not having a home address or living with circumstances that envelop and suffocate their ability to thrive in our society. She wakes up every morning on a quest to find a place to sleep that night. She knows about a public building with a broken lock in the entryway, the back of a school and even has her own tent. She knows where she can probably get away with tenting and when the police won’t knock down her abode. She is working on sobriety and knows that being homeless required her to be drunk every day. She cannot live homeless while sober as it is unbearable. She has two children, one divorce, and an alcoholic fiancé. She actively works on sobriety with a clarity and determination not often seen in this homeless population. She is educated, motivated, and could soar above the clouds yet is tethered by her lack of means. Her financial backer isn’t local. She sold her car.  She has nightmares which can only be quieted by alcohol or medications, both of which leave her exhausted by morning. Continue reading ... Your patients are rating you online: How t...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: Journals (General) Authors: Tags: Physician Primary care Source Type: blogs