[ad_1]
More than 70% of detox clients in the Simon Dublin community last year cited addiction and substance abuse as the main reason for being homeless.
The increase in demand for the detox service of the charity caused the waiting times to almost double, from 29 days in 2018 to 76 days in 2020.
The organization’s 2020 annual review, released Thursday, said the average age of clients in residential detox services has dropped from 49 to 44 in the past five years.
Fifty-four per cent of all people in Dublin Simon’s emergency accommodation by 2020 have been homeless for more than three years, with 42 per cent for more than five years.
Dublin Simon Community provided services to 7,617 people in Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow, Meath, Louth, Cavan and Monaghan last year.
Sam McGuinness, chief executive, said the homeless population “is experiencing the worst crisis we could ever have imagined.”
“While some of the successes we’ve achieved make me happy, there are people struggling to rebuild their lives because they’re dealing with addiction, waiting longer to access alcohol and other drug detox services, and getting to the bottom. deep in the little ones more than ever, ”he said.
“Many of these people spend five years or more in emergency accommodation and are desperate to get out of homelessness.
Advice
“The human toll is evident in the growth in demand for advice and support outside the crisis hours, with a total of 3,875 interventions by the Dublin Simon Community Sure Steps advisory team, both in services diurnal as out of hours.
“In 2020 we worked with 7,617 adults and children and we have achieved very positive results. Nearly 2,900 adults and children received support from our income maintenance teams, which was facilitated by the increased availability of housing released in the rental market due to the Covid-19 “pandemic.
There was a 23% increase in demand for primary care and primary care services from the charity, with 938 people accessing the services in 2020. These include residential detoxification services, addiction recovery and care services. subsequent, blood-borne virus services and counseling.
The charity’s Intermediate Residential Care Center, Step-Up-Step-Down, marked its second full year of operation last year in collaboration with Safetynet Primary Care and HSE.
The service supported acute hospitals by providing up to 20 medical beds on the island of Usher, freeing up public hospital beds for use by Covid-19 patients during the pandemic.
Risk
Majella Darcy, head of clinical governance and therapeutic services for the Dublin Simon community, said more health care is needed for those suffering from homelessness.
“When the pandemic started, we were faced with a situation where we knew that the most common reason for entering our Step-Up Step-Down unit the previous year was a respiratory condition. This meant that the homeless population had an exceptionally high risk of infection and a poor outcome, ”he said.
“We moved quickly to adapt the way we provided services, ensuring the safety of our vulnerable customers and front-line healthcare staff.
“We have been hugely successful in keeping people safe during this Covid crisis, but we need to make sure we can meet the demand for addiction treatment, particularly drug stabilization and mental health supports that at the moment they are so urgent. “
Source: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/addiction-and-substance-abuse-primary-reason-for-homelessness-says-charity-1.4682122 [ad_2]
Methadone Clinic Nearby – Methadone Clinics NYC – Methadone Clinics USA
