Race And Poverty Factor Into The Aging Process

In conclusion, elderly Americans face many obstacles as they grow in age, such as ageism, workforce discrimination, poverty,

Poverty impacts the experience of individuals in young and middle adulthood due to the unequal distribution of wealth and income in the society that creates disparities between the rich and poor. The impacts makes young and middle adulthood not have enough food to eat due to poverty (Zastrow &Kirst-Ashman, 2016).

In Josh Barro’s article, he mainly discusses the theme of Social Security. He explains how if we raise the age for people to access Social Security, that will harm poorer Americans who have a lower life expectancy due to the type of work they do or because of lack of other proper benefits. In the video, Coming of Age in and Aging America, they discuss the main theme of aging in America and the difficulties and obstacles these individuals face on a daily basis, especially in terms of Social Security. The video covers a variety of situations that the elderly face and how America can work to make the lives easier especially in a world where our elderly population in growing. One example was in a hospital where they were able to integrate new techniques and systems to make it easier for people to work longer into their lives. The main themes of Sharon Kaufman’s journal article were health care and the reform of current plans, and discussion of life-prolonging procedures. She discusses the three main procedures used in the U.S. which are organ transplantation, cardiac procedures, and cancer treatments. Finally, Segal’s text covers the themes and policies related to aging and elderly population. She discusses the acts and programs that have been put into place such as the Older Americans Act of 1965, social security, pensions, and Medicare/Medicaid, along with a variety of others.

Being poor is hazardous to one's health. As seen in class, the conditions that are found in poor neighborhoods cause the poor to die earlier and have much less healthy lives than their more wealthy counterparts in better neighborhoods and the suburbs. The poor who are mostly of color are segregated by income into these areas where poverty, toxic waste, pollution and crime make their lives miserable indeed.

We all will one day face the reality of growing older. There are many aspects of this change that will affect us in a large way. According to the Merck Manual of Health and Aging, 1.5% of Americans are 85 or older. This research states that the number of people 100 years or older could rise from 1 out of 5,578 in the year 2000, to 1 out of 472 in the year 2050. It brings out that women have a longer life expectancy than men, among people aged 65 and older in the year 2000, there were 70 men for every 100 women. For people aged 85 and older the figure was 41 men for every 100 women. The site goes on to say that approximately 11% of Americans aged 65 and older are below the poverty line. (The Merck Manual of Health and Aging:

This lack of prevention stems from poor education often received in those areas and the culture that often permeates within them (Williams/Torrens). Widely accepted is the concept that people with higher incomes generally enjoy better health and live longer than people with lower incomes.

The elderly population have challenges that other ages do not have to face. Elderly face some number situations. These issues arise once people reach a certain age and follow them till the day that they pass on. For example, there are certain health issues that come the age. The African American elderly deals with a lot of issues; ranging from health to financial. But the African American elderly have a big influence on their community. But also, it is very important for the health of the elderly. The relationship can keep the elders’ health and mental health in good standing. The elderly can face many issues as their lives and body grow older. The African American elderly population has significant challenges that they must deal with. To begin with, many have health issues. Some that can be very life threatening. As people get older your body just does not want to work the same way it used to when it was younger. Your body goes through changes. As people get older, the body begins to behave differently.

One of the major obstacles for researchers in the field of Health Psychology and Aging is understanding the role of health disparities across different populations. Health disparities can be understood in terms of differences in some facet of health and well-being across different groups of people. The issue of health disparities across different populations is one that must be understood not only in the context of genetic and biological factors, but also in the context of a broader sociocultural perspective. The influence of health disparities are implied in the context of aging, but are discussed across the entire lifespan. The existence of health disparities in later life is often a product of a lifelong experience and life-course trajectory. This essay will address some of the major

Throughout history, many conflicts have arisen from the differences between races and ethnicities. These conflicts have resulted from one population, historically the white American population, wanting more power over another population, more often the African American population. From these power struggles, racism and discrimination developed and were even more strengthened from the development of slavery in the US and further on with segregation in the 1900s. From slavery, segregation, and racism, health disparities developed in the African American population that have continued to this day. African Americans generally have a shorter life expectancy than whites, but a recent discovery, entitled the minority crossover, has changed the understanding of health disparities in elderly populations. The minority crossover phenomenon refers to the growing elderly African American population and increase in life expectancy of this group over white Americans.

For a variety of reasons, it is easier for the monied classes to access quality health care when needed and, in general, lead healthier lifestyles. People of higher socioeconomic groups have been shown to live longer (Scrambler, 2012). Beginning with higher infant mortality rates, lower socioeconomic groups often face a lifetime of challenges to good health and longevity.

Cathy’s ability to become a successful ager was influenced by Race, Gender, Social Class and Historical Events:

Green et al., (2015) also state that socio-economic factors, such as income, crime, social support network and unemployment levels. Considerable amounts of individuals are known to live an unequal life, as their social class may be different due to age and unemployment, this may be interlinked to poverty and social class. According to Naidoo J, Will J (2016) one of the main social determinants of health is unemployment, this can link to mental health issues, which includes depression, anxiety and sleep disturbance and also physical health, which includes developing cardiovascular diseases. This may also link to living with not having a stable income, as this may link to dietary diseases if the family cannot afford to eat because they are unemployed.

This essay will discuss ways in which a person’s socioeconomic class and his/her social situation can have an impact on his/her health, using examples. We believe that there is a direct link between socioeconomic/social class and health (Adler et al. 1994). I will be defining the key terms: socioeconomic and health, social class then proceed to discuss about how poverty, income, employability, environment and housing can impact on a person’s social situation and their health.

Study author Silvia Stringhini said "Reducing poverty, improving education and creating safe home, school and work environments are central to overcoming the impact of socioeconomic deprivation. By doing this, socioeconomic status could be targeted and improved, leading to better wealth and health for many." (Source: Huffington Post Title: Low socioeconomic status affects life expectancy more than obesity, 1/02/2017).

Poverty can lead to serious effects. Children who grow up in poverty are likely to have frequent health problems than the children who grow in better financial circumstances. For example, infants who are born into poverty have a low birth weight, and they grow up with mental or physical disabilities. Not only are they sick, but they are most likely to die before their first birthday. Children who are raised in poverty might miss school often because of their illnesses, and they have a much higher accident rate than the other children. Nearly a billion of the world’s population can’t read nor write. Poor families experience stress much more than a normal family does. They are more likely to be exposed to negative events such as illness, job loss, death of a family member, and depression. Homelessness is another effect of poverty. Homeless children are less likely to receive proper nutrition, protection and they experience more health problems. Around 1.4 million children die each year from lack of access to safe and clean water and proper nutrition. Homeless women experience a high rate of low birth weight infants as well as miscarriages. Families who do not have homes receive much more stress than other families. They also have disruption in school, work, friendships, and family relationships. There are other effects of poverty such as drug abuse and addiction, child and woman abuse, debts pressure, and increase in crimes.