OLDER HOMELESS WOMEN

尽管50岁及以上的女性被认为占所有女性的五分之一 无家可归的妇女，她们通常被隐形，因为 重点关注从事育儿工作的年轻无家可归妇女。因为 人们对年长的无家可归妇女知之甚少，很难 评估他们的需求或计划一系列适当的健康和支持 为他们提供服务。使用调查技术，深入访谈，以及 人种学技术，我们的目标是提供第一个大规模的 对无家可归的老年妇女进行系统检查。我们将采访250人 50岁及以上无家可归的妇女住在纽约的收容所和街道上 约克城。我们还将采访项目中的关键人员 为这群人服务。具体的审查范围包括：(1) 人口统计；心理和身体健康；药物滥用水平；以及 受害情况；社会需要和支助；(2)人口亚类 例如精神病患者和滥用药物者；(3) 无家可归；(4)社会网络及其与生存的相关性；(5) 无家可归者状况的心理/现象学方面； 无家可归者的环境/社会背景；(7)无家可归者的理论模型 适应；(8)将这一群体与其他边缘和 以前检查的社区人口；(9)改善服务 通过利用(1)-(8)项的信息和对比妇女的信息进行分娩 他们接受不同级别的服务。这项研究将在 30个月的期限。

Although women aged 50 and over are thought to comprise one-fifth of all homeless women, they have generally been rendered invisible because of a focus on younger homeless women engaged in childrearing roles. Because little is known about older homeless women, it has been difficult to assess their needs or plan an appropriate array of health and supportive services for them. Using survey techniques, in-depth interviewing, and ethnographic techniques, we aim to provide the first large-scale systematic examination of older homeless women. We will interview 250 homeless women aged 50 and over living in the shelters and streets of New York City. We will also interview key personnel working in programs serving this population. Specific areas to be examined are: (1) The demographics; mental and physical health; levels of substance abuse, and victimization; social needs and supports; (2) Subsets of the population such as the mentally ill and substance abusers; (3) The pathways to homelessness; (4) Social networks and their relevance to survival; (5) Psychological/phenomenological aspects of the homeless condition; (6) The environmental/social context of homelessness; (7) A theoretical model of adaptation; (8) To contrast this population with other marginal and community populations examined previously; (9) To improve service delivery by utilizing information for (1) - (8) and by contrasting women who accept various levels of services. The study will be conducted over a 30-month period.