More seniors are becoming homeless. Shelters are trying to adapt

"The Medically Vulnerable People shelter, or MVP shelter for short, is for people ages 62 and older. But it also serves younger adults who have chronic health issues. Instead of sleeping in a large, shared space with multiple beds or bunks, the MVP shelter has semiprivate rooms designed to accommodate wheelchairs or other mobility needs. Each small room has its own bathroom, allowing dignity and privacy for older adults who struggle with incontinence."

"They are the fastest-growing homeless population nationwide, according to Dennis Culhane, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania. Not only are people who struggle with chronic homelessness aging, but many older adults are becoming homeless for the first time in their lives. Getting in and out of bunks, managing medications and making it to a shared bathroom in time are among the major challenges of shelter life for older people."

"The MVP shelter is unusual because it provides on-site medical care to better serve its residents as they age. When Jamie Mangum tripped and fell in her room at the MVP shelter, she didn't have to go far for help. Mangum, who is in her 50s and has lung cancer, needed only to make it downstairs, where she saw an emergency medical technician in the clinic. Her swollen wrist was quickly wrapped, and she returned to her room."

An old two-story brick hotel in Sandy, Utah now operates as the Medically Vulnerable People (MVP) shelter serving people primarily 62 and older and younger adults with chronic health conditions. The facility offers semiprivate, wheelchair-accessible rooms with private bathrooms to preserve dignity and support mobility and incontinence needs. Most homeless shelters lack such accommodations, while adults 65 and older are the fastest-growing homeless group and many are newly homeless. Common shelter barriers include navigating bunks, managing medications, and reaching shared bathrooms. The MVP shelter provides on-site medical care; an on-site EMT treated a resident’s fall and wrapped a swollen wrist quickly.

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