Homelessness is a complex and multidimensional issue often involving a combination of personal vulnerability, the limitations of social housing, and inadequacies in welfare support. Providing palliative and end-of-life care to people experiencing homelessness is challenging, both to individuals receiving care and nurses aiming to meet their complex needs. This article discusses what is understood by the concept of ‘homelessness’ and examines the barriers to accessing effective healthcare for people who are homeless and have life-limiting conditions. The authors review the research into end of life care for people experiencing homelessness and identify areas for further investigation, notably the lack of evidence regarding the end of life care priorities of these individuals. There is a focus on the availability of healthcare services for people who are homeless at the end of life, as well as the factors that should be considered if evidence-based healthcare services for this group of people are to be improved in the future.
Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2018.e11070
Correspondence Conflict of interestNone declared
Peer reviewThis article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software
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AcknowledgementsThe primary author has received funding for her PhD study through a Florence Nightingale Foundation Research Scholarship, made possible through the generosity of The Band Trust. However, the funders have had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of this article.
Received: 19 November 2017
Accepted: 11 January 2018
Published online: 27 February 2018
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