or 75 percent of the elderly who are impoverished. Almost one third of elderly women in America have incomes less than 150 percent of the poverty level. Poverty among elderly women is distributed disproportionately among those living alone and those from minority groups. A recent study showed that poverty leads to poorer physical and psychological condition, and a deterioration of cognitive function.
A major problem in the elderly poor concerns health issues. Older people living in poverty are more likely to experience ill health as they age than the elderly middle- or upper-class, and this rapid decline not only decreases their quality of life, but is more likely to put them in a nursing home (ôPovertyö 5). These people are also much more likely to have problems in their daily activities, such as bathing, preparing meals, doing light housework, and shopping.
The states with the highest poverty rates for Americans over age 65 are the southern states, according to the U. S. Census Bureau (Lokken 46). The elderly in Mississippi have the highest poverty rate in America. Mississippi has 14.4 percent of its food stamp recipients over age 55, the highest in the U. S. (the national average is 7 percent). Food insecurity is defined as, ôthe inability to acquire or consume an adequate quality or sufficient quantity of food in socially acceptable ways, or the uncertainty that one will be able to do so.ö A survey by the Urban Institute in 1993 found that between 8 percent and 16 percent of elderly Americans had experienced food insecurity during the previous six months (47). Studies have also shown that approximately 80 percent of the elderly have chronic medical problems which could be improved with proper dietary intake.
Food stamp use is very low among the elderly (about 3.5 percent) because of pride and the fact that many feel the effort is not worth it for $10 a month (Lokken 47). African Americans display a hig...