About Donna Hurley

Donna Hurley is a Fresno, California- based senior living professional with over two decades of industry experience. Donna’s first experience with healthcare was when her father was diagnosed with vascular dementia. By learning how to best care for him and address his needs while she was only in high school, Donna became passionate about improving long term care and streamlining processes with wholistic health in mind.

Over the course of Donna Hurley’s experience in senior living, she has become well known for her dedication to investing in strong teams, trainings, efficient operating policies, and census to vastly improve facilities’ ability to keep seniors healthy and active as they age. To Donna, innovating infrastructure within the industry is vital for facilitating stronger company culture and empowering professionals to remain committed to high quality care for residents. For this reason, Donna Hurley of Fresno has made it a point to serve in senior living roles involved in multiple facets of the industry including Director of Marketing and Community of Relations, Specialty Project Manager, and President of Operations.

Donna Hurley of Fresno Explores Senior Homelessness and Its Impact in American Cities

As a senior living professional, Donna Hurley is deeply invested in issues that impact senior communities as well as viable solutions for rectifying said problems moving forward.

One issue that many are not currently aware of is the ongoing homelessness crisis impacting seniors in cities across the country.

Here, Donna addresses senior homelessness, its impact, and ways that we can work towards making changes that will protect seniors facing housing insecurity.

The Rising Issue of Senior Homelessness

Research shows that seniors are among one of the fastest rising groups within the homeless population. This section largely includes younger baby boomers who notably have faced multiple recessions over the course of their lifetimes — the recessions of the late 1970s, 1980s, and the mortgage crisis of 2008.

While there is no individual factor cited for the recent rise in homeless seniors in US metros, many experts site issues such as mass incarceration policies, lack of affordable housing inventory, and weak social safety nets as a few of the most damaging.

Donna Hurley of Fresno finds that the reasoning for improving the outlook of the ongoing crisis is clear —seniors deserve the safety and security of a place of residence. Homelessness among senior populations has quickly become an issue of public health as well. The fact is that homeless seniors are much more likely to develop chronic illnesses, age-related health issues, and can experience rapid health deterioration as they wait for housing that addresses their needs.

Are There Any Solutions to Address Senior Homelessness?

In cities where the homelessness crisis is most rampant, there have been a variety of initiatives implemented to address the issue. For example, “Housing First” programs are growing more popular as a means to place those with housing insecurities into safe, stable living situations, then tackling other difficulties they may be experiencing linked to addiction, mental health, or physical conditions.

Many experts in the subject also mention that preventative measures have been having a substantial impact on reducing the amount of at-risk, homeless seniors. One of the most common is contributing to affordable housing inventory in ways that cities such as Boston have facilitated over the years. Affordable housing is vital for addressing the homeless crisis as it helps to prevent members of our communities from becoming homeless in the first place.

In addition to the above steps that the US has taken to address senior homelessness, there are a host of other solutions that are currently being explored. For example, increasing income supports, making strides in affordable healthcare, further investing in programs and services tailored to the needs of older homeless adults, and expanding access to low-cost legal services for seniors facing housing insecurity are all solutions many cities in the US are currently utilizing to reduce the impact of the crisis.

How Can We Personally Help Homeless Seniors?

As a professional who works with seniors in a state with the country’s largest homeless population, Dona Hurley recognizes that many people in today’s landscape wonder how they can personally make a difference.

Donna maintains that donating either time or funding to organizations on the front lines of the senior homelessness crisis can go a long way towards helping them expand their services and contribute to lasting change. There are so many groups out there that are committed to helping seniors and homeless seniors, and members of the community can find a niche to contribute skills, help with planning events and donation fundraisers, etc.

Getting active politically on a local and state stage can also be helpful for drawing support to the issue and other causes that one may be invested in. Today, issues such as affordable housing, accessible healthcare, improved social services, etc. are included within the platforms of many politicians and activists who are hard at work to make crucial improvements. Making voices heard and drawing attention to these issues can be a very effective way to ensure that we prioritize efficient solutions for seniors, the disenfranchised, etc.

Donna-Hurley-Fresno.com- Your Platform for Information on the Senior Living Industry

Donna-Hurley-Fresno.com was created as a platform for helping readers learn more about seniors and the senior living industry. Future posts will include a variety of topics such as:

• Senior Living
• Challenges Facing Senior Communities and Senior Living Institutions
• Professional Development Insights
• Senior Living Industry News

If you would like to further develop your understanding of the senior living space and associated topics, feel free to tune into this site for more information based on the experiences and insights of Donna Hurley of Fresno, California.