Dying Behind the Scenes of Society: Palliative Care in Alternative Nursing Homes for Socially Vulnerable People

We have probably all had the experience of coming across a homeless man lying in the street, wondering perhaps whether he was asleep or in fact dead. Or read stories in the newspaper about elderly and lonely men and women found dead in their apartments several weeks after death occurred. Stories and experiences like these affect me deeply and have made me wonder what happens to the most socially vulnerable and isolated people when they become ill and dying. Who looks after them, e.g. if their substance abuse has alienated them from their family and friends, and they are in need of care and treatment? Can you get a good death if you are excluded from established society in life?