University Seminar 101

There are many reasons for a person’s homelessness, not just the stereotypical homeless who has made all the wrong decisions. One major correlation with homelessness is mental illness. In a Harvard Mental Heath Letter, they found that ten percent of mentally ill people are homeless for over a year. Illnesses found in these homeless people are one or more of the following: schizophrenia, bipolar disease, and severe depression (Gerdes 1). People that have one or more of the mental illnesses mentioned normally cannot hold a job. Not having a job results in being homeless for a period of time. When thinking about a homeless person, a person does not usually think about mental illness being an issue, he or she typically thinks about the homeless who made all the wrong choices. People who have mental illness cannot be put into this category because they can do not choose to live that lifestyle. Joblessness and mental illness both correlate with homelessness. Each homeless case is different. However each case may be, there needs to be a system that helps people with mental illness avoid becoming homeless. Unfortunately, there are still people who do not think that homeless people should have a second because it is their fault after all right? Some of the homeless people are to blame for the lack of support to help the homeless who actually want help. If society were to base everything off of stereotypes then the things would be very different in the world. All men would be strong handy-men who can do anything and women would be only having babies and cooking on the stove for when daddy returns home and every exceptional athlete would be using steroids. This is obviously not the case, so why should homelessness be any different. Just because there are a few bad eggs does not mean that the rest of the homeless population should be punished. The majority of homeless people need society’s help to have a better second chance at life. The majority of these people are not the stereotypical homeless.

There were
test that Hospitals did to see if there was a way to obviate some of the problems related to
care for homeless mentally ill people. The hospital made portable medical records utilizing pulp
board covers and Polyart 2 untearable paper so the homeless person could carry it on them to
save time and money. Is that help for the mentally ill Homeless? In my opinion this could work
if the chronically mentally ill homeless person was half responsible, bound, or even
capable. But doesn’t everyone remember that these people are not like you and me, they don’t
live in the same reality as the rest of us. There are many good ideas to turn the homeless
situation around, but we need to remember all the variables.
Among homeless people those are chronically mental ill pose challenges for health care
delivery systems. With a high prevalence of repeated psychiatric admission homeless mentally
ill patients may see many health care providers who are unfamiliar with their past care.
Information about the past history of homeless chronically mentally ill patients might help
primary care providers institute more timely management. (Reuler 3)

The authors main purpose in writing Million Dollar Murray was to make us think. To make us think about how we can solve these difficult problems. To make us think about how each subject is related to one another while at the same time remaining completely different and unique. He makes the reader wonder why these subjects or issues are more important than all the other problems and issues out in the world. And lastly the author gives us the opportunity to question his validity of his resources. I believe this document was a great piece for the developed mind and the critical reader. I also am a little disappointed however in the last few paragraphs of Million Dollar Murray. Why was it an important asset to the conclusion of the authors writing to include the last part of Murray’s death? Is it symbolic for what may happen if these problems are not solved? Was it actually beneficial to the context of the story? Or maybe it was just that; a story. A story about a man whom everyone loved and cared for. A man you hated to see leave but loved to watch go. Was it only a story? A story used to capture your attention and heart only made up to connect three dry subjects of different random social problem of the world and used to make a wonderful piece of literature providing endless questions and no real answers.

@kritanya.lambert

Blog Response to #2
Why would a health care system stop at “portable medical records utilizing pulp
board covers and Polyart 2 untearable paper”? According to this blog mentally ill, homeless people are not, “half responsible, bound, or even capable,” of having these medical records. With this in mind, why give the homeless with mental illness these records that would supposedly help out the health care system? Would it not be easier to just have a universal computer system with everyone’s record in it including people who are not homeless even? There are easier ways to know a patient’s health care.
To reply to a homeless person not being able to be responsible enough to handle their own medical records, it is a dangerous place out on the streets and a homeless person cannot always protect his or her belongings, especially his or her medical records. There is always going to be somebody who is stronger than another person. If that stronger person is a homeless junky and knows about the mentally ill, homeless person’s medical condition and the medication that he or she gets for the condition then the junky may steal the health records of that mentally ill homeless person. Once the records are stolen then the junky can use the records to benefit his or her addiction to drugs by pretending to be the mentally ill homeless person. Generally a homeless person does not have anything to identify him or herself with, so this makes the junky able to obtain the medication that the mentally ill person needs. It would not be logical to be carrying around important information like medication and medical records for a mentally ill person, let alone a completely sane person. “The most common reason given for failing to bring the chart to the visit was that the patient had forgotten or that it had been stolen” (Reule 1). Since the records were stolen or forgotten, the practitioner has nothing to refer to and possibly misdiagnosing or giving too much of one drug to that particular mentally ill person. Carrying around records is just not logical.
The health care system needs to change some things in order to help homeless people that are mentally ill. “Homeless people frequently experience great difficulties in accessing the health care services that they need” (Transley 1). This is because heath care providers do not know how to treat the mentally ill or if the particular homeless person is on medications and if so what medication he or she is on. In order for a practitioner or health care provider to know any of these things there needs to be a computer system that the provider is responsible for and nothing for the homeless person to be responsible for. With a computer system that can be used at any hospital, clinic, etc, there will not be any problem of not knowing how to treat a mentally ill, homeless person.
In order for a homeless person with mental illness to acquire proper medical treatment it cannot be relied on the homeless person to be responsible for the records. Records get stolen or the mentally ill homeless person forgets to bring it when he or she needs medical attention. The only logical thing to do would be to have a universal computer system that only health care providers can view. If the provider can provide all the information needed at the time of visit, the possibility of having the homeless person deal with the mental illness is so much greater than having the homeless person try to keep track of a record book when he or she can barely take care of him or herself. A universal computer system is the answer to keeping track of a homeless person’s health records.

stephanie.vescher,
The issue of homelessness is often stereotypical and prejudice. Meaning that many people automatically assume that homeless people are lazy alcoholics who are solely responsible for their circumstances. However you are exactly right in your statement that there is a correlation between mental illnesses and homelessness. As stated, there are many factors that lead to homelessness, not just drug or alcohol addiction. Mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar are only a few of the many illnesses that people with chronic homelessness suffer from. Not all homeless people have chosen to live like a bum on the street. Who would chose a life like that? The chronically homeless end up homeless and in hospitals because they are physically and mentally incapable of caring for themselves. Yes, they do turn to drugs and alcohol, cause domestic disturbances, and spend thousands of dollars on medical bills that they can’t afford to pay, but when they are suffering from disabilities, mental illnesses, and alcoholism are they really able to stop themselves? Is a person with schizophrenia capable of making rational decisions to improve his social status? Evaluate the book The Soloist as an example. Nathaniel Ayers is a man who is homeless and suffering from schizophrenia. While reading the book one because incredibly frustrated with Nathaniel because he will not listen to reason. He believes that he is safer living in one of the worst neighborhoods in LA as opposed to living in a small apartment complex. Nathaniel has virtually no protection from attackers when he sleeps completely exposed and vulnerable on sidewalks. This makes absolutely no sense, especially with all the violence circulating in those parts of the city. His mental illness is what impairs his ability to think rationally and listen to reason. Is a person suffering from schizophrenia or any other mental disease capable of making rational decisions to improve his living conditions or keep a steady job? These are some questions raised when dealing with homeless people. Obviously not all cases are the same and may homeless people live up to the know stereotypes, but it is unfair to characterize all homeless people as drunks who have brought their trouble upon themselves.
Not only are mental illnesses an issue, but also the economy that we live in today. There are millions of people becoming unemployed due to the current economy crisis. Many of the unemployed have families to support and are unable to do so without a job. As a result, they become homeless. Is it this families fault they have become homeless? Do they deserve to be cast aside and discriminated against because of the people who give homelessness a bad reputation? Don’t they deserve a second chance to have stability in their lives? Especially when their homelessness is cause by illnesses, unemployment, and disabilities. What is the solution to this problem? Stephanie is exactly right. We cannot look at the epidemic of homelessness through stereotypes. We must figure out why there are so many homeless people and why they are causing so many problems. As a nation dedicated to helping those in need, we must design programs, like the ones mentioned in Million Dollar Murray, to help limit the amounts of money that homeless people are costing the government. In reality, it cost millions of dollars either way to solve this complex problem. What it comes down to is whether or not we (a nation) are willing to put some time and energy into programs designed to help limit the numbers of homeless people in the United States.

It’s depressing to learn that a large percent of the homeless population suffer from mental illness. The Soloist is a poignant story and it is amazing how much Lopez helped Nathaniel by simply being his friend, and how much Nathaniel emotionally touched Lopez. However, not every homeless person with a mental illness has a person who will invest that much time into them. Also, in some parts of the story, I disagreed with Lopez’s actions when he manipulated Nathaniel into doing certain things. His intentions were good. He wanted Nathaniel to have a better life. Yet, although Nathaniel had a mental illness, he was still an adult and had certain rights. A person, mentally ill or not, should never be forced or manipulated into doing something that they don’t want to do. Mental illness is something that doesn’t just go away. It should be treated. Those homeless people who want help and want to be treated should be given a helping hand. However, they should not be forced.