Elderly Population and the Advocate RoleWorking with elderly people is an excellent way to give back to any community; doing this helps those who are otherwise helpless and even unaware that they are digressing. The elderly community can face many problems including nutrition, locating housing that they can afford, and adequate medical care. Additionally, having the support and assistance of an advocate can help the elderly cope with him or her losing their ability to drive, his or her loneliness because of the death of a loved one, and even not having any family members around to show their support. Having advocates who are passionate in what he or she does is vital in assisting this group ...view middle of the document...
This is not only unfair but should never be an issue facing anyone, not just the elderly.Affordable HousingAnother issue that elderly people are facing is his or her ability to find housing that he or she can afford. While there is always housing in less desirable neighborhoods in areas of high crime, this is not a safe place for an elderly individual to live. With violent crime occurring he or she is a prime target for being injured or the victim of a burglary. Simply increasing the police force in an area where there is a higher population of elderly individuals would begin to discourage crime in the area. Additionally, adjusting the income limits for food stamps would allow a person to spend more money on his or her housing. This would allow them to find a home in a better area with less crime.Medical CareProper medical care is vital for anyone, the elderly included. Medicare beneficiaries out of pocket expenses are sizeable and when on a limited income, the elderly struggle to provide for themselves. These expenses also increase with age, so the elderly will continue to have additional expenses without additional income. It is shocking that a Medicare beneficiary who is between the ages of sixty five and seventy four spend on average $2,920 in out of pocket expenses. This means monthly that is $244; if he or she is living alone and a recipient of food stamps this means he or she has $936 or less to spend on the remainder of his or her expenses. If he or she is between the ages of seventy five and eighty four he or she spends on average $3,815 leaving a single person roughly $862 left to spend on necessities. Even more staggering if a person is over the age of eighty five, he or she spends on average $4,615 annually on his or her out of pocket expenses. This is roughly thirty percent of his or her annual income; leaving approximately $495 left over to live on monthly. This is not enough to live on. Additionally, these people who already are stretching his or her money spend on average another $70 a month on prescription drugs, further depleting his or her monthly income.Numerous experts believe that a couple who retires at the age of sixty-five will need to have at least $160,000 in savings in order to adequately support his or herself. This means having enough to provide for his or her medical care; including insurance premiums, heath care expenses, and medical expenses not covered by insurance. Unfortunately, this staggering...
