When the way is not clear – care for the vulnerable in our communities

Abstract

Background: There has long been a myriad of definitions and statements to describe ’vulnerability’ and ’vulnerable clients’ in the health and community sectors within Australia and indeed throughout the world. What is it that a community health service and its direct care staff can take from these definitions to inform their practice and assist to provide vulnerable clients with quality evidence based care? Objective: The aim is to both gain an understanding of vulnerability and how services impact on the lives or experience of community clients as well as explore the extraordinarily complex client journey. Methods: Methods will include purposive formal interviews with clients who attend the RDNS SA Hutt Street Homeless Clinic and will explore their journeys and thoughts on ’being vulnerable’ in the community. Added to this will be interviews with both co-authors to discover their experience of working with vulnerable clients and their approach to the management of the extraordinarily complex client. Conclusion: When the way forward is not clear for clients in the community who are vulnerable or have complex needs, community organisations must move beyond the barriers to see the ability in both their clients and in their service. Sometimes the smallest things can mean so much.