The Medically Susceptible Folks (MVP) shelter in Sandy, Utah, is a transformed two-story brick lodge. It serves individuals ages 62 and older, in addition to individuals with well being circumstances that make it onerous to stay in a typical homeless shelter.
Aaron Bolton/Montana Public Radio
cover caption
toggle caption
Aaron Bolton/Montana Public Radio
Simply exterior Salt Lake Metropolis, in Sandy, Utah, there’s an outdated, two-story brick lodge — now given new life as a homeless shelter for older adults.
The Medically Susceptible Folks shelter, or MVP shelter for brief, is for individuals ages 62 and older. However it additionally serves youthful adults who’ve power well being points.
As a substitute of sleeping in a big, shared area with a number of beds or bunks, the MVP shelter has semiprivate rooms designed to accommodate wheelchairs or different mobility wants. Every small room has its personal toilet, permitting dignity and privateness for older adults who wrestle with incontinence.
Not like the MVP shelter, most homeless shelters aren’t outfitted to assist older individuals, particularly these 65 and above. They’re the fastest-growing homeless inhabitants nationwide, in keeping with Dennis Culhane, a researcher on the College of Pennsylvania. Not solely are individuals who wrestle with power homelessness growing old, however many older adults have gotten homeless for the primary time of their lives.
Getting out and in of bunks, managing drugs and making it to a shared toilet in time are among the many main challenges of shelter life for older individuals. Employees at conventional shelters typically ask older adults to go away in the event that they’re unable to look after themselves.
The MVP shelter is uncommon as a result of it offers on-site medical care to higher serve its residents as they age.
When Jamie Mangum tripped and fell in her room on the MVP shelter, she did not should go far for assist. Mangum, who’s in her 50s and has lung most cancers, wanted solely to make it downstairs, the place she noticed an emergency medical technician within the clinic. Her swollen wrist was rapidly wrapped, and he or she returned to her room. She stated that this would not have been doable at different shelters she has stayed in.
“There, I might have to attend hours versus are available in right here — be seen,” Mangum stated.
On-site emergency medical technician Emily Woolsey wraps the swollen wrist of MVP shelter resident Jamie Mangum after a fall. Mangum says that in different shelters, she would seemingly have needed to discover her personal technique to an pressing care workplace to get therapy. She credit the shelter for serving to her take care of all her medical points.
Aaron Bolton/Montana Public Radio
cover caption
toggle caption
Aaron Bolton/Montana Public Radio
In different shelters, Mangum stated, she would most likely have needed to discover her personal technique to an pressing care workplace or get an ambulance journey. On the MVP shelter, specialised case managers have additionally helped her organize therapy for her lung most cancers.
The shelter can deal with purchasers with advanced medical wants. “We now have purchasers that want reminiscence care. Possibly they have been residing independently earlier than, however they have been unable to keep up that and received evicted because of dementia or various things like that,” stated Baleigh Dellos, who manages the MVP shelter for The Street Residence, an area nonprofit.
Rapid care and help are offered by EMTs and the specialised medical case managers, however main care docs and therapists go to weekly. Residents may even obtain bodily remedy in personal areas on-site.
A path to higher well being, and stability
The MVP shelter companions with the Fourth Road Clinic in Salt Lake Metropolis to supply medical care on-site.
The very first thing most new residents need assistance with is remedy, in keeping with Matt Haroldsen, with the Fourth Road Clinic.
When individuals are residing on the streets, common drugs might be misplaced or stolen. “Their drugs get jacked once they’re of their camps,” Haroldsen stated.
Diabetes sufferers who’re homeless usually bury their insulin to maintain it chilly. However they may neglect the place they buried it, or the vials can get too heat and spoil, he added.
Serving to MVP shelter residents get and keep their drugs can stabilize their well being circumstances, Haroldsen defined. That permits them to show their focus to different priorities, corresponding to getting an ID or different paperwork they should apply for incapacity, Social Safety and varied help applications that may ultimately assist them safe extra everlasting housing.
Nonprofits and native governments have opened comparable shelters in Florida, California and Arizona to satisfy the wants of older homeless adults.
Getting access to specialised shelters might be the distinction between life and loss of life, stated Caitlin Synovec, assistant director of the Nationwide Well being Look after the Homeless Council.
In cold-weather states, denying older individuals a mattress due to mobility and different well being points might be particularly dangerous. In 2022, an older grownup in Bozeman, Mont., froze to loss of life after he was requested to go away a shelter due to incontinence.
Complicated medical wants can pose a hazard to different residents that the majority shelters aren’t ready to handle.
“A typical shelter does not permit someone on oxygen to come back in as a result of that is such a fireplace hazard and threat,” she stated.
Giving older adults higher entry to well being care inside shelters is one of the simplest ways to assist them succeed as soon as they do get entry to extra everlasting housing, Synovec stated. That is as a result of well being points are a typical motive older individuals cannot afford or keep housing, she stated.
Senior-focused shelters popping up in different states
The MVP shelter mannequin is displaying promise, each in Utah and elsewhere.
“Over 80% of the individuals who’ve stayed in our program this previous 12 months have moved into secure or everlasting housing,” stated Jacob Torner, vp of applications for the TaskForce for Ending Homelessness in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The nonprofit runs a shelter referred to as Elder Haven.
Jeff Gregg performs fetch together with his canine, Ruffy, exterior the MVP Shelter in Sandy, Utah. He says the specialised medical companies helped him cease utilizing opioids and get surgical procedure for power again ache. He hopes that this may permit him to get a job and afford an house.
Aaron Bolton/Montana Public Radio
cover caption
toggle caption
Aaron Bolton/Montana Public Radio
The MVP shelter close to Salt Lake Metropolis can be marking success. It was in a position to completely home 36 older adults within the first 11 months of 2025.
Nonetheless, extra older individuals are in want of shelter than it will possibly accommodate. Dellos, the shelter’s supervisor, stated the waitlist hovers round 200 individuals. The shelter prioritizes individuals based mostly on medical want, she stated, not time spent on the waitlist.
A spot to reset and recuperate
For residents who do get a room, the chance might be life-changing.
Outdoors the shelter, 62-year-old Jeff Gregg was enjoying fetch together with his canine, Ruffy.
Due to an outdated again harm, Gregg stayed hunched over as he threw the ball. The harm additionally fueled a decades-long habit to opioids, he stated, making a cycle that was onerous to flee.
“Combating that, having a job, insurance coverage, then shedding the job, not having insurance coverage, going out to the streets and being again in that crap, and I might be again in the identical place,” he stated.
Gregg stated sobriety took a again seat to his extra rapid wants, corresponding to discovering meals and a mattress in a shelter. For him, the shelter turned the primary place the place he might chill out and deal with restoration.
“I used to be in a position to get clear. It took me a pair months, however I simply saved plucking away,” he stated.
He stated the expertise paved the best way for him to get again surgical procedure. He hopes that with much less again ache, he can ultimately get a job that may assist him pay for an house.
This story comes from NPR’s well being reporting partnership with Montana Public Radio and KFF Well being Information.
