VNA Shelter Nursing History

Since 1987, VNA has provided public health nursing services to women and children living in the Omaha area homeless shelters. The services are preventive in nature with an emphasis on:

• Early and regular prenatal care
• Adult and well child care and immunizations
• Normal child growth and development
• Positive parenting and child care
• In 1996, public health services were expanded to men residing in homeless shelters.

The service for men focus on:

• Assessment of health needs
• Monitoring of chronic health conditions
• First aid and injury care
• Referral to health care providers and community agencies

In 1999, the VNA developed a public health nursing program to serve individuals and families living in transitional housing facilities in the greater Omaha area. The VNA public health nurses are able to follow families from homeless shelters into transitional housing situations, and provide the same supportive health and human services needed to sustain them in their new environment.

In 2003, VNA expanded its public health program to provide care to the fastest growing population in the shelters - children. VNA visits five Omaha shelters that specifically care for homeless children. These children (birth to 18 years of age) are in the shelter for such reasons as:

• Abuse and neglect
• Runaways
• "Thowaways" - abandoned by their parents
• Experiencing a family crisis

In 2006, the VNA provided care to 1138 children, 1,245 women and 2,150 men for a total of 4533 individuals and families.

The shelters in which VNA provides public health nursing include:  Siena Francis House, Open Door Mission/Lydia House, McAuley Center for Women and Families, The Shelter for Abused Women, Children’s Crisis Center, Kids Cottage, Youth Emergency Service, Family Service Shelters, and Stephen Center. 

Local Homeless Challenges and Facts

According to the Metro Area Continuum of Care for the Homeless count, there are more than 1,110 homeless people on any given night in Omaha and Council Bluffs.  Of those, 62% are men, 22% are women and 16% are children.  This is only an average of a typical night in the shelters.  It does not include people staying with friends, living in abandoned buildings, or living on the street.

A Growing Need - Children Living in Community Homeless Shelters

Women, children, and adolescents continue to be the fastest growing number of homeless people. Recent research data from 2003 suggests homeless female heads of household reported more physical health issues, major depressive illness and post traumatic stress disorder than those surveyed in 1993. 

Other research shows that homelessness is a predictor of poor health status and high service use among children. The present findings highlight the importance of "preventive intervention" to increase access to primary care among children and adolescents.

This requires VNA shelter nurses to refine services to be more responsive to changing needs. In addition, it supports VNA's need to sustain funding for women and children's shelters and assure primary care for homeless youth on the streets through VNA nurse practitioners.