Next with Kyle Clark’s Word of Thanks

Every city in America struggles with homelessness and the Denver Metro is no exception. We as a nation are rightly concerned about where people experiencing homelessness are going to live, but are we asking, where do they die?

According to the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, about 25% of people experiencing homelessness who died last year, died out of doors. This could be anywhere from a sidewalk, alleyway, under a bridge, to a tent. About 20% of folks who were experiencing homelessness are able to die in rented motel/hotel rooms and lastly, about 30% die in Hospitals. Hospital care is by far the most expensive and not designed for end of life comfort care.

People experiencing homelessness are at increased risk of chronic diseases. These conditions often exacerbate end of life care when a terminal illness is diagnosed. People experiencing homelessness have an average life expectancy of 30 years less than the housed population.

Rocky Mountain Refuge is the only shelter in Colorado that provides a place for people experiencing homelessness to receive end of life care. We offer shelter for end-of-life care regardless of a person's race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), immigration status, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status.