M4
Slide 6
CONTENT
10–12 MIN
Principle 1:
Whole-Person Integrated Care
Whole-Person Integrated Care
Whole-person integrated care means that services address the full health and social reality of the individual — not only a diagnosis, a symptom, or a single crisis.
For people experiencing homelessness, health problems rarely exist in isolation. Chronic illness, trauma, unstable housing, poverty, social exclusion, and administrative barriers interact in complex and reinforcing ways. Treating only one dimension often leads to revolving-door service use, repeated hospitalisation, and worsening instability.
Whole-person care therefore requires a broad, coordinated service spectrum. Each tab below explores one service area in depth — read through all five to continue.
1. Primary Medical Care
Primary care is often the first — and sometimes only — point of contact with the health system.
For people experiencing homelessness, primary care must go beyond standard consultation models. It typically includes:
Acute illness treatment
Chronic disease management (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, COPD, asthma)
Medication review and adjustment
Wound care
Pain management
Preventive screening
Vaccination
Sexual and reproductive health services
Coordination of specialist referrals
Crucially, primary care must be adapted to irregular attendance patterns and unstable living conditions.
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