Malnutrition in the Elderly: A National Crisis: A Focus on the Problems Essay

It is known that poverty is one of the issues of public concern. Some people are sure that only government can help to reduce poverty, while others consider that the government policies “encourage many of the poor to remain poor” (Tischler 182). There are some common myths about the poor. First, people are poor because they refuse to work. It means that they are lazy. However, it is found that a person who works 40 hours a week at minimum wage will not be able to earn enough money and avoid poverty (Tischer 182).  Second, most poor people are minorities, and practically all minorities are poor. It is false, because most poor people are white, and white people are not minorities (Tischer 182).  Third, most poor people are single mothers with children. It is false because the majority of poor people “live in other family arrangements” (Tischler 182). The fact that the poverty rate for single mothers is high proves that many women have no opportunity to support their families in a proper way. Fourth, most poor people live in the inner cities. This fact is true because the majority of rural residents have no chance to get a well-paid job, and they earn lower wages than urban residents (Tischler 182). Fifth, Most of the poor people are older Americans. It is found that 40% of older Americans have incomes of less than $6,000 per year (Cope 43). Sixth, the poor get special advantages. It is wrong because “since the passage of welfare reform in 1996, the number of families receiving aid has decreased by about 50%” (Tischer 183). In addition, such social assistance programs as Medicare and Social Security mainly go to middle class people, not to the poor people (Tischer 183).