Financial help on the way for low-income seniors

There are new resources available in our community for adults age 55 and older who are struggling financially.

Surprisingly, the current federal poverty guideline (an individual making $29,425 or less or a couple earning less than $39,825) does not reflect healthcare costs. If it did, the older adult poverty rate would be considerably higher. Increased medical costs for older adults greatly reduce the income available to meet food and housing needs.

Special challenges exist for low-income adults in different age groups. The 55-to-64 age group faces one set of hurdles, while those 65 and older face another set.

Those 55 to 64 need to work but often face longer periods of joblessness and have less of a chance of finding a job than their higher-income peers. Their limited budgets are stretched even further by expenditures on healthcare,

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Join the conversation on LGBT and aging

In many communities, LGBT ( lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) older adults are a forgotten population.

Before the 1970s, little was known about this part of the population except that they were viewed by some as deviant or immoral. As a result, they concealed their sexual orientation, fearing physical and emotional abuse; rejection from family, friends and religious communities; and job loss.

Fast-forward 40 years and, while there is a greater understanding, LGBT elders still face challenges their heterosexual counterparts do not.

A majority of them live alone, relying on other older gay adults for support and caregiving.

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