It's a subject that's been ignored for some time, seniors who are homeless.

Fortunately, there is at least one organization offering support.

As is the case with our population at large, the homeless population is also aging.

"For people who are homeless, it gets much more difficult to be homeless as you age. They're more susceptible to illness, they have chronic diseases, they become, it's just harder to get around and take care of your daily needs," said Darlene Hein, Waikiki Health Center.

That's why the Waikiki Health Center developed the Care-a-Van, a mobile system to operate in an outreach effort to help those homeless seniors.

"We really try to help them get Social Security, so they have some kind of income so they can qualify for housing. It's really about housing and getting the kinds of off the street and into a place of their own, some place that they can live and have help," said Hein.

But how does that work? Social Security needs an address. Hein says, "You can come in, they can sit down with someone, they'll help them fill out their application, we'll follow up, we'll have the mail come to our office, we'll go out and find people."

Hein is quick to point out that the help offered by the Waikiki Health Center is not all bureaucratic. "We have a medical component, we have a substance abuse component and we have a mental health component. So we are really a one stop shop that allows for all the needs - the basic needs so we help with food, water," she said.

Elderly can mean a different age to different generations. But there is no denying that the Waikiki Health Center is definitely providing care for seniors. "I mean, recently we had an 80 year old woman who came from the ER. Very confused, didn't know where any of her family was and she's eighty years old and she's homeless and she's facing a night on the street. That's not okay," said Hein.