Hispanic 65-year-old battling homelessness and health issues in California's streets
Elderly Americans, aged 55 and above, are increasingly becoming homeless, causing concern among healthcare professionals regarding the nation's most fragile population.
Let's talk about Rose Del Rosario, a 65-year-old Hispanic woman residing under the California sun in her RV. Life ain't peachy keen for her, as she struggles with homelessness, health issues, and loneliness.
Rose's medical woes include high blood pressure and lifelong asthma. One day, a medical van from the non-profit Healthcare in Action rolled up to her RV in the San Pedro district. A jovial physician associate named Daniel Speller hopped out to take her vitals. Unfortunately, Rose lacks health insurance, and her situation has often led her to purchase inhalers off stranger's hands or scrounge them up from the trash.
When asked about navigating homelessness past the usual retirement age, Rose admitted it makes her feel "old AF." She lamented, "It's just hard livin' like this."
According to statistics from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, around 20% of the United States' homeless population, which amounts to over 771,000 people as of early 2024, are individuals aged 55 or older. This age group tends to develop complex chronic medical conditions, making them highly susceptible to homelessness and health complications.
Daniel explained that the older homeless population is "the most vulnerable," due to the multitude of health issues they encounter.
This trend of older Americans facing homelessness has been on the rise for thirty years. It's no surprise, considering the second half of the Baby Boomer generation is much larger, increasing the risk of homelessness for this demographic. Adding to the issue, many Baby Boomers struggled to find employment due to the high unemployment rates and rising housing prices in the early 1980s, leaving them vulnerable to homelessness.
Professor Dennis Culhane from the University of Pennsylvania, an expert in homelessness and assisted housing policy, stated that the major impact of this growing trend is on health care systems. The cost of caring for elderly homeless individuals is astronomical, as they often end up hospitalized and require long-term care, but lack a stable support system to aid in their recovery.
Healthcare in Action CEO Dr. Indu Subaiya expressed concern about the impact of rising costs and potential cuts to government programs such as Medicaid on senior citizens. "I don't believe we should be cutting Medicaid for those populations," she declared. "That'll be so helpful to people not falling deeper into the hole."
Rose previously imagined a cozy retirement filled with rocking chairs and hot casseroles. Instead, she's battling homelessness in her RV, hoping for a miracle to change her circumstances. As she said, "I didn't think it would be like this."
- Enrichment Data:
- The Department of Housing and Urban Development tracks and reports on homelessness statistics in the United States.
- The aging trend in homelessness has been escalating for around 30 years, with Baby Boomers being disproportionately affected.
- Homelessness in older adults often arises due to the death of a spouse, divorce, unemployment, eviction, or mounting medical issues
- Cuts to government programs like Medicaid could exacerbate the challenges faced by elderly homeless individuals.
- Rose Del Rosario, a 65-year-old Hispanic woman, resides in her RV in California, battling homelessness, health issues, and loneliness.
- Rose's medical conditions include high blood pressure and lifelong asthma.
- She lacks health insurance, often purchasing inhalers off strangers or scrounging them from the trash.
- Around 20% of the United States' homeless population, over 771,000 people, are individuals aged 55 or older.
- Older homeless individuals are highly susceptible to complex chronic medical conditions and health complications.
- The older homeless population is considered the most vulnerable due to their multiple health issues.
- The trend of older Americans facing homelessness has been rising for thirty years.
- The second half of the Baby Boomer generation is contributing to this rise, increasing the risk of homelessness.
- The unemployment rates and rising housing prices in the early 1980s left many Baby Boomers vulnerable to homelessness.
- Professor Dennis Culhane, an expert in homelessness and assisted housing policy, stated that the growing trend significantly impacts health care systems.
- The cost of caring for elderly homeless individuals is astronomical, as they often require hospitalization and long-term care.
- Dr. Indu Subaiya, CEO of Healthcare in Action, expressed concern about the impact of rising costs and potential cuts to government programs like Medicaid on senior citizens.
- She believes that cutting Medicaid for these populations could exacerbate the challenges faced by elderly homeless individuals.
- Rose, in her imagined retirement, envisioned a cozy life filled with rocking chairs and hot casseroles.
- Instead, she battles homelessness in her RV, hoping for a miracle to change her circumstances.
- News about chronic diseases, such as chronic kidney disease, COPD, type-2 diabetes, and cancer, often appears in health and medical-conditions updates.
- The rise in older adults facing homelessness has also been linked to neurological disorders like Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, and migraines.
- Digestive health, eye-health, hearing, and skin-conditions are also important aspects of family-health and overall health-and-wellness.
- Aging can lead to various health issues, including cardiovascular-health problems and autoimmune-disorders.
- Mental-health, such as depression and anxiety, are increasingly prevalent among the elderly population, affecting both men's-health and women's-health.
- Therapies-and-treatments, including new ones like CBD, emerge as potential solutions for various chronic diseases and health conditions, offering hope for individuals like Rose Del Rosario.
