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April 21, 2026SHILAP Revista de lepidopterologíaOpen Access

Walk in our shoes: older homeless women's perceptions of the challenges of navigating streets and shelter life

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Authors

JGJudith G. GonyeaKMKelly Melekis

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Overview

Qualitative study reveals older homeless women's struggles in shelters, highlighting urgent need for reform.

Key Points

  • This study investigates how older women experiencing homelessness perceive the challenges of living in shelters and on the streets.
  • Conducted 15 semi-structured interviews with older homeless women in the U.S.
  • Interviews lasted about 60 minutes and were coded using NVivo software.
  • Employed a multi-step interpretative phenomenological approach to analyze participants' lived experiences.
  • Trauma was universally experienced, with participants facing significant physical and mental health issues.
  • Participants felt misunderstood by shelter staff, highlighting societal bias against older homeless women.
  • Five themes identified included dehumanizing treatment, unsafe conditions, and loss of control in shelters.

Cite This Study

Gonyea et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69e7132bcb99343efc98cdf9https://doi.org/10.3389/fgwh.2026.1697164
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Trauma across the life course and pathways to healing for older women experiencing homelessness2025
  2. 2Reclaimed Voices: The Silent Impact of Women’s Experiences of Homelessness2024
  3. 3A critical discourse analysis of older women’s representation in housing and homelessness2024 · 3 citations
  4. 4Aging on the Margins: Intersectional and Postcolonial Insights into Older Migrants’ Experiences of Homelessness2025
  5. 5Leave no‐one behind: reducing health disparities for women experiencing homelessness in Australia2024