NURS 602 Assignment 4.1 Access to Care Case Study

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Student name

Maryville University

NURS 602 Health Care Policy

Professor Name

Submission Date

Samantha Henrichs

1. What events in Matt’s life contributed to the progression towards homelessness?

Back injury gave him an addiction to oxycodone, causing him to steal at work, the loss of his job, poor coping skills, causing him to drink and smoke, and his wife moved out of Matt, pushing her causing Matt to be unable to pay his mortgage. Then Matt contracted COVID, which meant he could no longer live with his family.

2. What social needs could healthcare providers have addressed? Which events related to social needs, and which could health care have addressed?

Social Needs: Housing, Financial, Medication therapy. Events: Getting COVID-19, providers might have inquired as to where he was staying and who he was staying with. Getting the infection, a provider may have inquired about how he contracted the infection, why he was not clean, where he was staying, or whether he could afford medication or not. A provider might have made an offer to have the patient arranged with a financial adviser to assist with financial problems.

3. What were some of the barriers Matt faced in accessing health care?

None of the insurance, humiliation, or the inability to afford the ER bill or medications.

4. Why do you think the emergency department was the first place Matt thought to go for care?

The ER can not refuse people. The patients may always be observed in the ER regardless of whether they are insured or not, or whether they have an outstanding bill or not.

5. How might the emergency department improve care for patients like Matt?

They can request the patient to provide additional social history. They might aid in locating a shelter or a place where the patient will be. They would offer to shower the patient in the hospital. They may volunteer to dial a family member or friend to assist.

6. What resources do you have in your area that could have helped Matt?

We have some places where individuals can sleep and be safe overnight in my area. The hospital has social workers who can be able to talk to the patients to provide them with resources to assist. Food can be obtained by anyone in the food pantries around. Had Matt resided in Minnesota, he could have applied to the General Assistance that provides a grant to a person and allocates money to them until other sources of income are secured (Minnesota Department of Human Services, 2023).

Citation: Minnesota Department of Human Services (2023). Housing and homelessness.

Minnesota Department of Human Services. https://mn.gov/dhs/partners-and- providers/policies-procedures/housing-and-homelessness/

7. What health policies could impact care for patients like Matt?

The Affordable Care Act has also increased the number of individuals who are chronically homeless and who receive Medicaid (Medicaid, n.d.). Health Care for the Homeless is a program that serves the homeless with healthcare requirements. (Hennepin County, Minnesota, n.d.). Reference Hennepin County, Minnesota. (n.d.). Health Care for the Homeless. Hennepin County, Minnesota. https://www.hennepin.us/residents/health- medical/health-care-for-the-homeless Medicaid. (n.d.). Homelessness initiatives. Medicaid. https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/long-term-services-supports/balancing-incentive- program/homelessness-initiatives/index.html

8. In your own experience, have you encountered a homeless individual? What was that like? Do you recall what you were thinking?

I have come across a homeless individual. I felt so sorry that someone was living in such a manner. I felt so much grief at this individual. I would have liked to assist, but I did not know how (because I was out of state). I was also nervous because I did not know whether they would attempt to rob me or even attempt to harm me. My significant other and I did bring food to a homeless man, but to attempt to assist him somehow, we had experience at the time.