#note/sourcereview/book #source/book📚/ingested ## What is the book about? Dr. Jim O'Connell the director of the homeless medical system in Boston from its founding in the early 1980's until today. The author follows Dr. Jim, learns about him, the relationship he has with the patients (not always healthy, not bounded the way modern medical patient-physician relations are), and focuses on one patient "Tony" who dies at the end of the book from a combination of sepsis and drugs. Dr. Jim has given up a lot to be so committed to caring for unhoused people. He has a baby in his mid 60's, and doesn't slow down to know his family until he is forced to by COVID-19. ## Summarize the argument Caring for the homeless requires a different form of relationship and outreach. Caring for the homeless should not be weighed only by the "system savings" it produces, not just by it's costs, but also by the value caring for these humans gives to them. Connection to the system of care provides these people moments of cleanliness, sobriety, and health. They are uniquely vulnerable, and just because they cannot pay themselves, does that mean they don't have the right to receive some healthcare? Many or most are victims of childhood sexual assault or severe childhood trauma. Their addictions allow them to briefly forget. When they are sober and clean, they are different humans. The stories of long-term unhoused people who were able to overcome are inspirational. - The word used is "ministering" which is interesting. - The most powerful part to me was "[[doctoring by washing feet]]" which implied the only doctoring act was washing another human's feet. This act served a symbolic embodiment of care. ## What is the other side of the argument? These are people who have rejected society, jobs, etc. What does society owe them? ## What else do I wonder about? - What opportunities would exist for me working with this population? What could I learn about their lives, and about myself. ## Action - volunteer with the homeless? ([Todoist](https://todoist.com/showTask?id=6733022757)) - wash some feet when I'm in the ER? ## When do I want to stumble across this? #on/caring #on/love #on/medicine ## Source: Kidder, T. (2023). _Rough sleepers: Dr. Jim O’Connell and his quest to create a community of care_ (First edition). Random House. ## References, Quotes, Ideas ```dataview table file.mtime.year + "-" + file.mtime.month + "-" + file.mtime.day as Modified from [[ ]] and !outgoing([[ ]]) sort file.mtime desc ```