M2 · Health Complexity
M2
Slide 15
CONTENT
Social Complexity and Care Burden
Multimorbidity is further complicated by social instability. Factors such as
Lack of housing
Debt
Criminal records
Family breakdown
Lack of documentation
Stigma
increase the administrative and psychological burden of navigating care.
Patients may prioritise finding food, securing shelter, and ensuring safety over attending appointments.
This is not non-compliance — it reflects competing survival priorities.
Impact on Healthcare Systems
Multimorbidity contributes to:

High emergency department utilisation

Frequent hospital admissions

Longer hospital stays

Recurrent readmissions

Increased healthcare costs

Without integrated discharge planning and follow-up, individuals may be discharged into homelessness and quickly return in crisis.
This cycle reflects systemic misalignment rather than individual failure.
Clinical Implications
Effective care for multimorbid homeless patients requires:

Comprehensive assessment across physical, mental and social domains

Case management

Multidisciplinary teams

Shared information systems

Flexible, low-threshold access

Continuity beyond acute episodes

Care must move from disease-centred to person-centred.
Integrated Health and Social Care Perspective
Multimorbidity demonstrates why homelessness cannot be addressed within siloed systems.
An effective IHSC response requires:

Coordination between primary care, psychiatry and addiction services

Collaboration with housing providers

Social support integration

Trauma-informed approaches

Preventive and long-term follow-up

Housing stability improves disease control. Integrated care reduces fragmentation. Prevention reduces recurrence.
CORE INSIGHT
Multimorbidity among homeless populations is:

Early

Severe

Interconnected

Socially embedded

Systemically challenging

Recognising complexity is the first step toward designing coordinated and ethical responses.