Older Women in the Homeless Shelter: Personal Perspectives and Practice Ideas

Abstract

This article reports on the themes generated by interviews conducted with 10 women over the age of 50, currently homeless and residing in an overnight homeless shelter. In-depth interviews were conducted asking women to tell their stories, talk about their lives in the shelter, and speak about their needs, hopes, and dreams. Based on an analysis of these interviews, the following themes emerged and were presented: The System is Too Confusing, Chaos in the Shelter System, Women as Nurturers, and Fractured Families. Discussion of these themes was presented, and practice, administrative, and research implications were suggested.

Keywords:

• homeless
• older women
• homeless shelter
• practice
• narratives

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thank you to Joanna Newlin, MSW, for her assistance in data analysis and interpretation. This study was partially funded by the Faculty Fund for Vocational Exploration at the University of Dayton, Program for Christian Leadership.