Poverty among the elderly in America has increased in recent years, especially among elderly women. According to the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), the number of men and women over the age of 65 who were living in extreme poverty climbed 18 percent between 2011 and 2011 (Entmacher et al., 2013). This increase could be due to collapsed pension systems, increased difficulty applying for federal and state aid, or the failure of Social Security to keep up with the cost of living. In addition, seniors who are willing and able to continue working beyond 65 are often forced to retire or cannot find other jobs due to ageism (discrimination based on age) (Leon-Guerrero, 2014). Whatever the reason, a poverty rate this high is unacceptable. Fortunately, a number of social programs exist to help ameliorate the effects of extreme poverty.

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One of the consequences of extreme poverty is poor nutrition. Meals on Wheels America is one program that seeks to address the issue of nutrition for the elderly. Meals on Wheels is present in almost every town in the United States. The program provides hot, nutritious meals to seniors either in their homes or in places they meet, including senior activity groups and community organizations. For some individuals, this is the only hot meal they will have that day. Many seniors have restricted mobility and cannot go to the grocery store; others have restricted funds and can’t afford to buy nutritious items. Meals on Wheels helps to close the gap (Meals on Wheels America, 2015).

In addition to providing nutrition, Meals on Wheels delivers a friendly smile, a warm conversation, and the reassurance that the senior person has not been forgotten. Many seniors do not see family members very often because they live far away. A person who does not drive and who has no alternate transportation (such as a friend or public transit) often must sit alone at home all day. The interaction he or she has with the Meals on Wheels delivery person may be the only human contact he or she will have all day. Although disengagement theory predicts that decreased interaction with others in the workplace is a normal part of aging, sometimes this disengagement expands to other areas of life, leaving the senior with a feeling of abandonment and uselessness (Leon-Guerrero, 2014).

The Meals on Wheels is crucial in another way, too. For homebound seniors who do not often have visitors, the Meals on Wheels delivery person may be the only one to recognize a deteriorating health condition that requires immediate treatment. In some areas, delivery volunteers are trained to notice potential health care needs, and to procure the care that will be helpful (Rubin et al., 2014).

Poverty is not only a problem for seniors; it is found in every age and every race. Even those who are technically “above the poverty level” may find it difficult to purchase healthy, nutritious foods, especially if the person also has extensive medical bills or must pay for child care in order to work. Food insecurity refers to those who do not chronically lack food but may have problems buying food several times a year (Leon-Guerrero, 2014). For example, migrant fieldworkers and their families may have gaps between seasons when they do not have any way to buy adequate food. Hunger generally refers to those who chronically lack food. Community food banks/ pantries are one resource that families in this situation can access.

Food pantries are typically a “last-resort” for families or individuals who have virtually no food or money available. For this reason, a large number of food pantry beneficiaries have substantial food insecurity (Kaiser, 2013). They also consumed fewer fruits and vegetables than those who used other resources such as farmer’s markets or borrowing from relatives. Since food pantries often receive the “cast-offs” from consumers and grocery stores, the food they have is the least desirable. They may have canned fruits and vegetables, but rarely is there fresh produce available (Kaiser, 2013). Thus, the use of food pantries often causes lowered nutritional status. It can also create a “culture of poverty” (Leon-Guerrero, 2014) in which children identify themselves as poor because they go to a food pantry or soup kitchen, receive free lunch, and participate in SNAP programs. Growing up in this situation, without hope for change, can lead to self-fulfilling prophecies.
References
Entmacher, J., Gallagher Robbins, K., Vogtman, J., Frohlich, L. (2013). Insecure and unequal: Poverty and income among women and families 2000-2012. National Women’s Law Center (NWLC). Retrieved from http://www.nwlc.org/sites/default /files/pdfs/final_2013_nwlc_povertyreport.pdf
Kaiser, M. (2013). “Disparities in Household Food Security and Health Status Among Households Using Different Food Provisioning Strategies. In Society for Social Work and Research 17th Annual Conference: Social Work for a Just Society: Making Visible the Stakes and Stakeholders. Sswr.
Leon-Guerrero, A. (2014). Social problems: Community, policy, and social action. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.
Meals on Wheels America. (2015). Together, we can deliver. Retrieved from http://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/
Rubin, D. L., Freimuth, V. S., Johnson, S. D., Kaley, T., & Parmer, J. (2014). Training Meals on Wheels Volunteers as Health Literacy Coaches for Older Adults.  Health promotion practice,  15(3), 448-454.