Addressing Low Income to Reduce Health Disparities

Income is unequally distributed among individuals within the environment whereby some citizens receive lower income while others receive higher wages. The income that an individual receives affects several aspects of their lives, including their health outcomes, in several ways. In most situations, low income is associated with poverty, and this means that individuals cannot afford most of their basic needs in the environment. Low-income individuals have poorer health and a higher risk of diseases such as diabetes, heart diseases, and other chronic illnesses. Agencies such as Miami -Dade Community Action Agency have emerged to undertake various activities and services that assist to improve the well-being of individuals. Therefore, low-income significantly impacts the health outcomes of individuals because it exposes them to poorer health and several diseases and several activities of agencies help to reduce health disparities in various ways. 

Family income and maternal education determines infant mortality and children’s health. Research indicates that most children of low-income mothers are more likely to have low birth weights either as children or as they grow up. “Children in poor families are approximately four times as likely to be in poor or fair health as children in families with incomes at or above 400 percent of the federal poverty level” ( Halfon, 2014). Furthermore, children from low-income families are at a higher risk of diseases such as asthma, hearing problems, higher blood level levels, heart problems, hearing disorders, and digestive illnesses. Poor feeding also leads to higher risk of obesity or malnutrition. Therefore, children from low-income families are at higher risks of health problems in various ways. 

Income of individuals in society affects their social life which in turn affects their health. For instance, low-income individuals are more likely to smoke heavily and this leads to development of diseases such as tuberculosis and other respiratory illnesses (Mortimer et al, 2015). Additionally, they are involved in physical activities such as aerobic exercises. Furthermore, low-resource communities have limited access to clean environment, recreational programs, and facilities that may help them to exercise and live actively. The communities they live in are not favorable for simple regular exercises such as walking or cycling. As a result, the social lifestyle of low-income individuals puts them at a higher risk of diseases such as obesity. 

Housing conditions of the low-income individuals in society are poor and in most cases they are congested. Some do not have enough social amenities and this puts them at a higher risk of infections. Their living environment, in most cases, is unhealthy; hence easy to contract diseases. The congestion of their house arrangements makes it easier for them to contract and pass communicable diseases within themselves (Schraufnagel & Schraufnagel, 2017). Mental health is closely linked with income. Mental issues result from different factors that make them nervous, stressed, or even depressed. In this case, lifestyles of low-income individuals is directly related to their health outcomes. 

Low-income individuals have limited resources to access proper healthcare services because they are more restricted to access medical care. In most cases, they are more likely to be insured or underinsured because they cannot afford to pay premiums for insurance plans because of significant financial barriers to affording deductibles (Pickett, & Wilkinson, 2015). Furthermore, their poor financial position affects their ability to afford paying for medicine and other healthcare expenses. Additionally, they have poor living conditions and in most cases the houses are congested. Congestion is a factor that affects the health of individuals in different ways (Schraufnagel & Schraufnagel, 2017). However, the government has introduced the Affordable Care Act to increase access to health insurance. Low-income patients have low or no access to recommended healthcare services such as cancer screening tests and immunizations partly because of restricted access to care and reduced affordability. 

Economic situations play a significant role in shaping behavioral patterns of individuals. For instance, alcohol consumption is a common characteristic among low-income individuals because of several factors such as stress. Studies reveal that drinking problems among the economically disadvantaged results from distress that arises from unemployment and income reductions. In most situations, stress primarily affects men and increases their level of harmful drinking. “Such a different net impact between men and women could potentially contribute to growing gender-related health inequalities during a crisis” (De Goeij et al. 2015). Furthermore, crime surrounds most neighborhoods that consist of poor individuals, a form of social deterioration. Low-resource individuals have stricter budgets and those who spend their money on alcohol may not have enough money to purchase food. Additionally, advertising of alcoholic content is high among the communities: hence increasing the rate of drinking. Therefore, low-income is associated with alcohol consumption which leads to more alcoholic-related illnesses which affect their overall health. 

Miami -Dade Community Action Agency provides services to the community to ensure the well-being of people in the community. The agency’s activities are funded through state and local grants. The primary purpose for the existence of the business is to provide a wide range of services to low-income individuals in the community. The agency delivers resources to targeted communities including children, seniors, and families through advocacy, education, and service delivery. It offers several services through various programs dedicated to various groups of people. Their programs vary depending on the target population and this means that programs are run and operated differently; hence their effectiveness. Miami -Dade Community Action Agency provides several social services that help eradicate income inequality that directly affect health. 

Miami -Dade Community Action Agency offers several services to the community through various programs to help the economically challenged individuals and families interested in attaining self-sufficiency. The agency uses Community Action and Human Services' Community Service Centers to achieve its primary goal. Afterschool Share to Care program is a private donor-funded program that assists low-income individuals to pay for their FPL electric bill before they receive final notices and or disconnections. An alternative and almost similar program to the Care to Share is Energy Assistance Program (EHEAP) . The EHEAP targets families with at least one person aged sixty and above in case the households experience a home emergency. The project’s funds are availed at eligible applicants who are a higher risk of having their electric services disconnected and have faced a crisis within the past thirty days. The Care to Share program, therefore, ensures that individuals pay for other basic needs such as food instead of electricity bills. The project reduces health outcome of complications that such as obesity and this improves the health and well-being of the citizens. 

Citizen Involvement and Participation is a program that Miami -Dade Community Action Agency designed to empower residents to become stakeholders in their community. This body implements structured activities and coordinated initiatives which promote and foster community improvement. Furthermore, the program increases recovery in low-income neighborhoods. Professionally trained organizers work in collaboration with the communities to provide training, support, and assistance to the individuals’ improvement of their duties as advocates. Some of the aspects that can be incorporated into the program to ensure that the audience are aware of diseases that they are at a risk of getting and prevention methods (Drummond et al. 2015). Therefore, Citizen Involvement and Participation provides education to the community regarding the steps that they can take to become responsible residents. 

Computer Training is a program that Miami -Dade Community Action Agency has incorporated to provide training on computers to low-income individuals with a passion to learn them. Another target population for this program include those who are interested in working in a computer-related field. It provides instructions and training on the use of personal computers and develope fundamental office skills. The knowledge that the citizens receive from this project enables them to get better-paying jobs because they will be competent. The learners will develop basic experience and skills that enable them to land a better job that offers better wages. Income is directly related to health outcomes; hence the individuals will afford primary healthcare services and pay for their medical expenses ( Pickett & Wilkinson, 2015) . In this case, Computer Training equips community members with knowledge and skills needed in the job market and this increases their access to better-paying job opportunities that they can cater for their healthcare services. 

Miami -Dade Community Action Agency consists of the Emergency Food & Shelter Program (EFSP) which offers assistance to individuals experiencing a one-time crisis that affects their ability to pay their utility bills, rent mortgage, or for necessary food. EFSP also offers customers with temporary shelter on a limited basis The customers must provide proof in written form about their crisis and provide proof that they can maintain their expenses after they receive the emergency aid. Individuals living in low-income neighborhoods have limited access to supermarkets that sell fresh and nutritious meals (Kaur, Lamb Ogden, 2015). Therefore, providing food ensures that families do not suffer from nutrition-related diseases. 

The Employment Preparation & Training Assistance is a program that the agency provides to individuals seeking employment in the public and private sector. The activities of the program include provision of training on the job tasks, skills, and referring them to employees. “Low-resource neighborhoods often face a shortage of employment opportunities, as well as primary care providers and high-quality clinical facilities” ( Woolf, 2015) . Providing them with education on how to seek for jobs will secure appropriate job opportunities that enable them to afford healthcare services. Therefore, the Employment Preparation & Training assists in directly reducing health disparities. 

Miami-Dade Community Action and Human Services Department’s Action Center provides English speaking classes to non-English speaking low income individuals through a program known as English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) . Currently they provide English courses for Spanish speakers and hold classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 2:00 p.m. Members who wish to register for this plan pay a fee of $30 and they are expected to confirm their eligibility before commencing. Spanish speaking individuals have a rough time getting a job that provides for them stable income to pay for their basic needs. One of the problems that faces low-income communities is lack of employment opportunities. 

Miami-Dade Community Action & Human Services Department partners or collaborates with low-income families through a program known as Family Development Project. They provide a family support system to help targeted families in identification, reduction or elimination of social barriers. Furthermore, they help in promotion of economic independence and self-sufficiency within five years. The targeted individuals will be in a position to interact with people and this will help them be aware of any healthcare programs within their vicinity. Economic independence provides them with an opportunity to afford and pay for their basic bills such as healthcare and as a result increases their health. Therefore, Family Development project is a long-term project with a vision to help low-income individuals to cater for their expenses in the future. 

Family and Child Empowerment - Project F.A.C.E. is an intense in-center and home based family oriented intervention, training, and advocacy program for children diverted from the juvenile system. In most situations, homeless individuals are those currently released after serving a term in prison and this includes children. Therefore, F .A.C.E. ensures that the children receive proper training that will help them to avoid the streets. In some situations, the program provides children with education. One of the problems that individuals living in poor neighborhoods is a weaker tax base which lowers local resources for supporting public schools and social services ( Woolf, 2015) . In most situations, children who leave school are more likely to be involved in crime. Family and Child Empowerment – Project, therefore, addresses the issue of aiding children who are out of juvenile to ensure that they have a better and healthy life in the present and in future. 

Farm Share Food Distribution is a program that Miami-Dade Community Action & Human Services Department provides to ensure that low-income individuals afford food on the table. Food is a primary need that individuals require for their day-to-day activities and to ensure that they are healthy. Low-income neighborhoods experience difficulties in accessing food and in cases where they can get them, the meals are less nutritious or less healthy ( Woolf, 2015) . A characteristic of low-resource neighborhoods is an over-concentration of fast food outlets that sell meals containing high calories. Furthermore, convenience stores and corner stores are concentrated in low-income communities. Farm Share Food Distribution is a program designed to ensure that individuals receive fresh farm produce, and this helps to eradicate illnesses related with poor dieting. 

The Housing Assistance Network of Dade (HAND) Program provides low-income individuals with proper housing. Mostly, a higher percentage of economically-disadvantaged or incomes with lower resources have inadequate or unstable housing. In most situations, the individuals are exposed to indoor pollutants which exposes them to respiratory diseases (Mortimer et al. 2015). Furthermore, low-income individuals experience difficulty moving to a better community with healthier housing stock. Mostly, low-income individuals do not afford to live in places that have lower levels of environmental pollution in various forms. In several situations, they reside in areas that are congested and busy highways with vehicle emissions. Others live next to factories that produce smoke and other hazardous materials to the environment which in turn affects their health (Mortimer et al. 2015). More residences of low-income individuals include bus depots and various sources of air and water pollution. The Housing Assistance Network of Dade (HAND) Program assists low-resource people to find proper shelter in better neighborhoods and helps them to relocate safely to these well-off communities. 

Miami-Dade Community Action and Human Services Department’s Action Center provides classes to prepare individuals going through the naturalization process for the Citizenship Test through Immigration Assistance. The module addresses various aspects such as American history, regulations, as well as the official system, overall knowledge, and Citizenship Test prep. In addition, it provides English courses for Spanish speakers and this increases their chances of finding better jobs with better pay so that they can afford basic necessities. Immigration Assistance provides individuals with knowledge on how to go about the legal system and this helps them understand their rights in accessing proper medical facilities and care. 

Information & Referrals is a program that a ssists customers with direction on how to seek services in the areas of housing/shelters, education, employment, childcare, homelessness, nutrition, mental health, food stamps, and any other information as needed or requested. This program addresses the essential elements that directly or indirectly affect low-income individuals. Homelessness is attributed with mental issues and most individuals who are psychologically unstable live in the streets ( Woolf, 2015) . Helping low-income individuals to have proper or affordable shelter will eliminate the problem of homelessness which is the root cause of several health issues such as malnutrition, mental diseases, and others. Food stamps ensure that only healthy foods are sold to low-income individuals and this helps to avoid nutrition related diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases, and others that result from overweight or obesity. 

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides assistance to low-income individuals and families who are experiencing financial difficulty with paying their electric and gas utility bills. The program enables the economically disadvantaged to afford gases like the well-off families. Employed individuals require a source of transportation to reach their place of work and those with cars, sometimes, do not afford to pay for gas and this affects their ability to generate income ( Woolf, 2015) . Furthermore, lack of gas prevents them from going to shop for nutritious and fresh meals in supermarkets and groceries or from accessing health care services. LIHEAP provides low-resources individuals with an opportunity to receive assistance in paying for their utility bills which directly affect their healthy life. 

Voter Registration program p rovides applications for customers who are U.S. citizens to obtain a voter’s registration card, in an effort to make sure all citizens of Miami-Dade County including those in low-income areas have the opportunity to vote. Individuals can determine the course of their future if they vote wisely for better leaders regardless of their social or economic status. Voter Registration program eliminates the issue of inequality based on one’s country of origin and makes them equal to the United States’ citizens. All citizens should be aware of the importance of voting and how this might impact their access to improved and affordable healthcare services. 

Miami -Dade Community Action Agency requires funding for its operations and to ensure continuity of the provision of services. The body works closely with other agencies to provide various services to the communities that it serves. It works closely with FACA, which is an intra-state collaboration of Community Action Agencies and other recipients of Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funding in the State of Florida. The firm offers technical help and training to member organizations in Florida which are dedicated to eradicating poverty. The Miami -Dade Community Action Agency is one of the organizations that is focused on eradicating poverty in the local area through a series of programs: hence it commits to coordinate the County’s human and social services programs. Therefore, the agency’s plans work successfully in elimination of social inequality and ensuring that residents receive basic necessities and proper healthcare services. 

Different factors lead to the social inequality of low-income in society. Miami -Dade Community Action Agency attributes issues like education, disabilities, and housing environments are the primary causes of social inequality. The organization develops and implement programs to address these issues and ensure that they eradicate the disparity that exists among the citizens. The agency has a conceptual model that helps them to address social inequality within the environment. Primarily, the Community Action and Human Services' Citizen Participation Program provides the agency with an approach that they can use to ensure that all individuals are involved in the programs and that they respect each citizens’ rights. Community Advisory Committees (CAC) enables the agency to fully incorporate the opinions and contributions of residents in target areas. In this case, Miami -Dade Community Action Agency has a well-built plan that enables it to address the issue of social disparity without discrimination in the communities it serves. 

Miami -Dade Community Action Agency experiences various factors that are more likely to limit them from attaining their goals. The leading factor is shortage of funding such as grants which disrupt the agency’s operations. In case the financial resources are depleted and not provided on time, the agency has to discontinue its operations and this affects their progress in provision of services to the low-income communities. Therefore, there is a likelihood of recurrence of health problems among those individuals who initially benefited from the organization’s programs ( Woolf, 2015) . Therefore, if the agency receives sufficient funds for their operations, their efficiency in attaining their objectives increases but lack of enough funds disrupts their ability to successfully provide services to low-resource individuals. 

Miami -Dade Community Action Agency can increase its effectiveness by the year 2020 through various activities. First, the agency should find other sources of funds that help them to provide their services. There is a need to consider finding funds from non-governmental associations to ensure that they attain their goals. Secondly, the agency should consider more close ties with politicians to enable them to provide better services. 

Miami -Dade Community Action Agency has a given period that it expects to realize the results of its actions. The extent to which it anticipates outcome depends on the circumstances of an individuals and the services that they receive. For instance, when an individual is in danger or an emergency, the action that they require is immediate and this means that results are evident sooner. However, results of other long-term programs take longer than in emergency situations. Therefore, the consequences of the services that individuals receive depend on the situation they encounter and the program that suits them. One success of the body is a high enrolment in first-time voters in the community and this indicates that its programs yield results. 

Miami -Dade Community Action Agency also addresses the issue of substance abuse which is a problem that affects individual health. The agency provides outreach to service the needs of various individuals such as residential housing program, diversion treatment, DUI program, and address homelessness. When capacity is reached in these programs, the agency refers clients to a day program until a space is availed to accommodate them. However, exceptions and preferences are made to those with a court order to receive the necessary help on substance abuse. Miami -Dade Community Action Agency should consider educating their target population about the Affordable Care Act and how this can impact their access to healthcare services. Incorporating this training with other services increases their chances of helping low-income individuals to receive improved medical care and better quality services. 

In conclusion, social inequality such as low-income affects health outcomes of individuals in various ways. Income is a factor that enables individuals to access basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing, education, and medical care. Miami -Dade Community Action Agency is an organization that is dedicated to eradicating poverty and ensuring that individuals receive better services. The agency undertakes several programs that enable it to address issues that directly or indirectly affect health outcome. Therefore, the activities and services that Miami -Dade Community Action Agency carry out assist to reduce health disparities. 

References 

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