Paul, a twenty-five year old drug-addicted alcoholic you are working with, requests urgent medication because of abdominal pain. You receive a phone call from his friend wanting advice about his chest pain. Yet another of your clients has 'gone off' and is refusing to take prescribed psychiatric medication. What do you do in these situations? What are your responsibilities?
Homelessness is a broad concept suggesting lack of shelter, but also encompasses many people who have shelter, albeit only on a temporary basis. It also includes those who lack many of the essential family, social and material supports that most of us take for granted. This is the definition of homelessness applied by the Council to Homeless Persons, Victoria.
This manual is designed to assist support workers of homeless and similarly disadvantaged people who find themselves in medically challenging situations like those outlined above. Not all the scenarios which occur in the homeless field can be covered in such a guide. Our approach has been to present material in a practical and grass-roots manner that covers many typical real-life scenarios. A section on general guidelines for medical treatment is included.
The authors work in the areas of general practice, psychiatry and nursing, and have extensive experience in the homeless field in Melbourne. This revised edition is an expanded text, particularly in the directory, psychiatry, and drug and alcohol sections. Aboriginal health and homeless youth health are new sections.
Extensive cross-referencing has been provided to make the text as comprehensible as possible. A comprehensive glossary of medical terms is included, also with page referencing. In addition, an index of registered brand names of pharmaceutical drugs and medications is provided to enable speedy reference when required. Throughout the handbook, these registered brand names are set in bold type to facilitate location and have the registered trade mark '®' attached.
Please remember that this handbook is designed to help health care workers to identify situations where referral to appropriate health care professionals is advisable or necessary. It is not a substitute for appropriate professional consultation. Such consultation is essential if the scenarios presented here are encountered.
Dr Michael Daly
Medical editor
May 1996