Royal district Nursing Service - Homeless Persons' Program

Being without a home shouldn’t mean being without healthcare. Homelessness not only means not having a stable roof over your head – it can also involve living without that much-needed support network of family and friends. And it’s not easy.

The RDNS Homeless Persons’ Program (HPP) involves a team of specialist community health nurses who work with and on behalf of individuals and groups currently experiencing homelessness.

The aims of the RDNS Homeless Persons Program are to provide holistic healthcare to people experiencing homelessness and to improve their access to general community services. We work with services to arrange healthcare that is accessible and relevant to the needs of the homeless, and at an equal level to that received by the general community.

RDNS helps the homeless by:

providing contact at agencies visited by people experiencing homelessness
assertively outreaching to people in rooming houses, crisis accommodations, caravans, hotels, parks and on the street
providing primary healthcare, including health and social assessments, clinical nursing care, medication management and supported referral to other health and community services
advocating on behalf of individuals experiencing homelessness (individually and as a population group)
promoting and maintaining health and preventing illness to individuals experiencing homelessness (individually and in groups)
implementing collaborative programs between homeless people and other health services, including public hospitals, community health centers and welfare agencies
providing education about homelessness to health professionals and community groups

How can I access this service?

If you would like further information about HPP please call 1300 33 44 55

HPP nurses are located within community health and welfare organisations across Melbourne metropolitan regions, including Anglicare, Cohealth, Launch Housing, Salvocare and VincentCare. In 2016 the RDNS HPP has seen the inclusion of an HIV team of five specialist nurses servicing metropolitan Melbourne.

Visit their website