How often do we think about the homeless? How often do we think of those who are dying, in need of end-of-life care?
How often do we think about those who are homeless and in need of end-of-life care? Who cares for these forgotten people?
An opinion piece in The New York Times on Sunday ("Who Will Care For Society’s Forgotten?", by Theresa Brown and Leah Nash) discusses this problem, describing "how and whether we treat these patients, especially at the end of their lives, is a moral measuring stick that is all too often missing in our discussions about health care in America."
Housecall Providers, a Portland, Ore. home care organization, cares for these vulnerable patients. The Op/Ed piece describes the care, as well as a thumbnail bit on several of their patients.
To read the Op/Ed piece in its entirety, click here.
Dr. Brown, a clinical faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, is author of "The Shift: One Nurse, Twelve Hours, Four Patients' Lives." Ms. Nash is a photographer.
