This study was undertaken to provide information about the health status and health care access of single men (over 18 years old) living in hostels in inner city Dublin. This group was chosen as it is the largest group of homeless people living in Dublin. The objectives were to describe the demographics, to examine behaviour risk factors, to determine their health status and to determine their utilisation and satisfaction of health services.

The data was collected over an eight-month period using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. As there is so little socio-demographic information on the homeless population in Ireland, the questionnaire was designed mainly for descriptive statistics. Interviews were conducted in three hostels in Dublin and the response rate was 53%.

The study showed that the majority of the men surveyed were middle-aged, Irish and single. 42.1% have no educational qualifications, 42.7% are homeless for more than one year. The three most frequent reasons cited for becoming homeless are accommodations problems, separation and alcohol abuse. 82.5% of the hostel dwellers are regular smokers, with 28.5% drinking more than the recommended weekly unit of alcohol. 40.7% reported fair to poor health, with 59.3% reporting excellent health. 91.2% have at least one physical or psychiatric disease, and 63.7% have a medical card. The most common complaint about the health services were the long waiting times and the attitude of the medical staff.

Therefore, the recommendations emphasise the importance of the training of medical professionals to take a holistic approach to the care and treatment of homeless people. Furthermore, specialist services need to be provided within the mainstream health service to cater for the diverse needs of the homeless.