Retirement News : Seniors : United States In a land of plenty a great number of seniors are ...

United States In a land of plenty a great number of seniors are ...

Date Added: 19-04-2005

According to the National Council of the Aging (NCOA), despite living in the world's most bountiful food-producing country, the number of seniors who suffer from hunger in the United States is growing rapidly.

The National Council on the Aging is a national network of organizations and individuals dedicated to improving the health and independence of older persons, and to increasing their continuing contributions to communities.
It has just declared that more than three quarters of a million of Americans over 65 and living alone have difficulty providing themselves with a steady supply of food and experience some degree of hunger.
There are federal and state programs to help. They include the Food Stamp Program, the Elderly Nutrition Program – Congregate or group meals or Home Delivered Meals. But about 60 percent of those who qualify for these programs have not enrolled.
Newswire (Proper Nutrition for Seniors is Essential for Good Health ; 06/04/2005) reports that elderly seniors can now find out quickly if they qualify for nutrition programs by using "BenefitsCheckUp" on the Web.
It is the first of its kind, free and confidential, designed to identify benefits and help people over 55 determine how to claim them.
Last year, more than 275,000 people used the site and about 100,400 found they were eligible for nutrition benefits they were not yet receiving.
Since the service was launched in 2001, more than 1,4 million reports identifying benefits programs have been completed.
For the NCOA President, seniors who experience hunger are at risk for serious health problems. Hunger increases the risk for stroke, exacerbates pre-existing ill health conditions, limits the efficiency of many prescription drugs, and may affect brain chemistry increasing the incidence of depression and isolation.

For More Information:

http://www.seniorscopie.com/actu/article.asp?id=050418215904&rub=swi