Social Model Hospice: Providing Hospice and Palliative Care for a Homeless Population in Salt Lake City, Utah

Abstract

Health care for the homeless population is a complex challenge and represents a significant gap in care, particularly for those at the end of life. Hospice care may be desired but is rarely an option for people without residences, social support, and payment sources. Social model hospice is a unique paradigm of care delivery that offers a viable solution to make hospice and palliative care possible for this population. In this historical report from interviews with early organizers, prior and current leadership (n = 6), the evolution of The INN Between in Salt Lake City, Utah, is described. In 2010, The INN Between was conceptualized as a nonprofit community effort addressing this need to provide an alternative to people dying unsheltered. After 5 years of planning, it opened in 2015 and has grown to become a comprehensive community resource for homeless medically frail and terminally ill individuals. Recommendations for establishing social model hospices are made: key strategies include identifying stakeholders dedicated to alleviating end-of-life homelessness needs, doing a formal needs assessment to identify community resource deficits, and forming mentoring relationships with established programs. Social model hospice is a viable way of meeting the end-of-life needs of many communities' most vulnerable residents.