Homelessness Trends in Ageing Literature in the Context of Domains of Social Exclusion

Abstract

AbstractHomelessness in later life is closely related to social exclusion and can cause further disadvantages in later life. This chapter explores the relationship between studies on older adult homelessness and the domains of social exclusion. A structure review process, in the form of a summative content analysis and a social network analysis, of all geriatrics and gerontology journals published in English was conducted. This review led to the identification of 59 articles on homelessness in older age as the research sample for this chapter. The patterns that emerged from summative content analysis and the social network analysis are visualised using GEPHI software. Our findings reveal the multidimensional aspects of old-age exclusion in the homelessness literature, and how homelessness can be a significant determinant of interrelated sets of disadvantages. Exclusion from services, amenities, and mobility and community and neighbourhood, and material and financial resources are the domains represented most in homelessness studies in the ageing literature. However, civic participation and socio-cultural aspects of social exclusion were partly ignored within this body of work.