San Jose's homeless population facing dire health risk during heat wave
In San Jose, one homeless person died earlier this week because of the hot weather as the ongoing heat wave continues to affect those living on the street.
With the Bay Area's largest city under a lengthy excessive heat warning all week that's not set to end until July 10, Amanda Teran has faced heat-related illnesses for the past few days.
"Just being so hot, it makes you sick. You want to throw up [and] just want to lay there," said Teran, who has been homeless for 12 years. "It's hard when you have people telling you to leave [and] to go, and you don't feel good from the heat being outside. It's a mess. Nobody cares about us out here, what we're going through. Everyone out here is going through their own individual thing that they went through. And they're going through their crisis alone."
On Tuesday, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said a homeless person died due to intense heat in the region.
"Nobody cared enough to say, 'Hey, maybe they needed water. Maybe he needed an umbrella for shade.' Something," Teran said. "I'm afraid for all of us out here cause we might end up dying out here, really. Nobody cares enough."
Dr. Sunil Bhopale, an emergency physician and Assistant Physician In-Chief of Hospital Operations at Kaiser Permanente Redwood City, said those living without homes are among the most vulnerable during the South Bay's ongoing heat wave.
"A lot of times, they end up coming in for help or somebody sees a person who may be unsheltered and will call 911 for help. So these folks will end up in the emergency department. The key is to be compassionate. All of us deserve care, treatment, and dignity," Dr. Bhopale said. "They are definitely a vulnerable group of people, in addition to the young and elderly."
Overall, Dr. Bhopale said more patients are coming into his hospital due to heat-related illnesses.
"Dehydration, feeling fatigued, dizzy, light-headed - that sort of thing. For sure, we're definitely seeing an uptick," Bhopale explained. "The reason heat is such a problem is that it could lead to dehydration and then lead to people being fatigued, and even sometimes losing consciousness. Be aware that you're feeling hot. Stay hydrated even if you're not feeling thirsty."
Staying hydrated during a heat wave while homeless comes with difficulties, whether it's transporting the water itself or even finding sources of clean drinking water.
"It's hard to find it, because only certain parks will have those things you can fill your jug up with. And depending on where they sweep you out and how far you have to make another tent, or another camp, that's how far you have to go to get water," Teran said.
Although making it through the heat wave is her immediate concern, Teran said her primary goal is to find housing -- something she's been unable to do for the past 12 years.
"Not all of us are out here by choice. Not all of us are doing wrong things. Some of us are actually trying to get our lives back together. Not all of us are stealing from everybody. Not all of us are doing drugs," she said. "I have faith in God. As long as I have God, that's all that matters."
