Poverty and Homelessness

cultural attitudes

beliefs and perspectives that a society values

media discourse

a way to communicate thoughts and attitudes through literature, film, art, TV, newspapers, and the internet

poverty

having insufficient financial resources to meet basic living expenses

-income alone doesn’t define poverty. (look at the full picture)

-consequences: physical, psychological, spiritual

political demisions

federal income poverty guidelines

-temporary assistance to needy families (TANF)

• childcare, job preparation

-women, infants, and children (WIC)

• food assistance

the near poor

earn slightly above poverty level, income inadequate but ineligible for medicaid and similar services

persistent poverty

-long-term and multigenerational

neighborhood poverty

geographically defined areas of high poverty

factors that increase poverty

-decreased earnings

-changes in labor force

-increase in female-headed households

-inadequate education and job skills

-inadequate poverty programs

-inadequate safety net

-weak enforcement of child support statutes

-dwindling social security payments to children

-pandemic

effects of poverty on health and well-being

-chronic illness

-infant morbidity and mortality

-shortened life expectancy

-complex health problems

-complications from chronic disease

-physical limitation from chronic disease

-hospitalization

poverty in women

-strong relationship between poverty and health

-poorer health status

-decrease ability to work

-minority women

• increase incidence of diabetes, HTN, asthma

-rural women

• generally have less income, education, and socioeconomic status; lower access to care

children and poverty

-poverty rate for children is 21.8% increase than for any other age group

-poverty among African-american and hispanic children is 3x greater

-at risk for:

• lack of adequate nutrition and brain development

• maternal susbstance abuse or depression

• exposure to environmental status

• trauma and abuse

  • lower-quality daily care

older adults and poverty

-high prevalence rates for:

• chronic illness and complications

• disability

• food insecurity

-less likely to access resources and seek preventive care

-SPM poverty thresholds vary be geographic area and home ownership status

-SPM reflects financial resources and liabilities, including taxes, the value of in-kind benefits, and out of pocket medical

-poverty is higher for women, blacks, and hispanics, relatively poor health, under both the official poverty measure and the SPM

community and povery

poor neighborhoods are linked with:

-poorer general health status

-higher rates of disability, injury, and violence

-less access to healthy food and healthcare

-fewer opportunities for good employment

-inadequate transportation

-problems r/t police brutality

-poor housing conditions

factors leading to homelessness

-poverty

-lack of affordable housing

-decrease in governmental support programs

-domestic violence

-mental illness

-substance abuse

-deinstitutionalization of chronically mentally ill individuals

homelessness

-primary night residency that is a supervised, temporary public or private shelters

-a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized

-a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accomadation for human beings

-methods typically undercount those who are homeless

-many homeless ppl are hard to find

role of the nurse

-create a trusting environment

-show respect, compassion, and concern

-don’t make assumptions

-coordinate a network of services and providers

-advocate for accessible health care services

-focus on prevention

-develop a network of support for yourself