Transcript:
During heat waves, people experiencing homelessness are in great danger. Without shelter, they’re more likely to die from heat-related illnesses than the general public.
Shannon: “If it’s extremely hot outside, they’re out in the heat, they don’t have access to shelter. A lot of them don’t have access to air conditioning.”
Evan Shannon is a physician with the UCLA Homeless Healthcare Collaborative, which provides mobile medical care to unhoused Angelenos.
He says many people who are unhoused also have untreated health conditions like heart disease or substance use disorders that can make them more vulnerable to heat-related illnesses.
And he says sometimes, it’s tough for the mobile clinic staff to quickly tell if patients’ symptoms are caused by a heat-related illness or another issue.
Shannon: “I saw a patient who it seems like, based on talking to some of his friends, was using fentanyl, and it was also one of those days when it was about 100 degrees outside … and it was really hard to distinguish between if this patient was overdosing on fentanyl or was just passed out because of how hot it was.”
So providing care may also become more complicated as the region experiences more hot days.
And it’s increasingly urgent for communities to provide water and air conditioning to people without shelter.
Shannon: “This is really a population that just has the greatest need.”
Reporting credit: ChavoBart Digital Media
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