Sleep Quality Among Homeless-Experienced Older Adults: Exploratory Results from the HOPE HOME Study

Poor sleep is common among older adults who have experienced homelessness, and it can continue even after people move back into housing.
 

This study is part of HOPE HOME, BHHI’s longitudinal study following older adults who have experienced homelessness. Researchers followed 244 adults age 50 and older in Oakland who were recruited while experiencing homelessness. They assessed participants’ sleep quality over time and looked at how sleep was connected to health, housing, and social support.
 

Two-thirds of participants reported poor sleep during at least one study visit. Poor sleep was more common among participants who had depressive symptoms, memory problems, fair or poor physical health, multiple chronic health conditions, difficulty with daily activities, or loneliness. Participants who had at least one trusted person they could confide in were less likely to report poor sleep.
 

The study found that current housing status was not significantly associated with sleep quality, meaning sleep problems often continued after participants regained housing.
 

The findings show that improving sleep for older adults who have experienced homelessness requires more than housing alone. Access to physical and mental health care, caregiving support, and opportunities for social connection may help improve sleep and overall health.

Read the paper: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11606-023-08429-4