The Economic Struggles for the Elderly

By Bobbi McVay
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 8.9% of the

population over the age of 65 are living in poverty

Contributing factors to the economic marginalization of the elderly

social exclusion

Limited access to resources

mobility issues

disparity between social privileges

historical oppression factors.

 Ashlee Weyandt, an Aging Care
Manager for the Area on Aging Agency

shared, “I work for the seniors to have a

Heart
better quality of life and for them to
Health remain in their homes as much as possible

Home under the safest conditions.”

The Area on Aging Agency serves

individuals 65+ living

Bills Prescriptions Groceries Homes
Patient Assistance Programs (PAP)

Pharmaceutical companies to Benefits for the pharmaceutical

offer affordable pricing to
are quite simple, it is their
people 65+.
commitment to social health issues.

Individuals receiving Medicaid

or Medicare may have some
portions of prescriptions drug
medications covered.
 In the U.S., the government

assistance medical coverage

programs and institutions to

provide continued medical

coverage are critical areas

where improvements are needed

to end the impoverished cycle for

years to come.
 Skilled Nursing Care

VS

Assisted Care Home

The current model for care for the eldely within a care facility adds to the financial constraints on

this population as well as the patients. The structure for the elderly which are eligible for nursing

care receiving MA benefits relies heavily on the use of skilled nursing facilities regardless of the

level of care of the individuals.

Working to improve the lives of our seniors by providing advocates for their

needs resonates themes of the Catholic Social Teachings.

Continually pressing the
community to involve Consumer
themselves in finding
solutions to benefit society
as a whole will offer
concrete resolutions for the Human Capital
future generations as well
as removing the
marginalized influences
surrounding the elderly Producer
today
References:
Bureau, U. (n.d.). Census.gov. Retrieved December 04, 2020, from https://www.census.gov/

Catholic Social Teaching. (2017, April 24). Retrieved December 04, 2020, from
https://ccsww.org/about-us/catholic-social-teaching/

Choudhry, N. K., Lee, J. L., Agnew-Blais, J., Corcoran, C., & Shrank, W. H. (2009). Drug
company-sponsored patient assistance programs: a viable safety net?. Health affairs (Project
Hope), 28(3), 827–834. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.28.3.827

Elderly Poverty Statistics - Economic Security. (2020, September 04). Retrieved December 04,

2020, from https://www.ncoa.org/news/resources-for-reporters/get-the-facts/economic-

security-facts/

Heller A. (2005). Social and economic determinants of Medicare managed care participation.

Health care financing review, 26(3), 1–4.

NCAA.org - The Official Site of the NCAA. (n.d.). Retrieved December 04, 2020, from

http://www.ncaa.org/

Waldegrave, C., & Cunningham, C. (2017). Social and Economic Inequalities: the

Marginationsation of Older People. Innovation in Aging, 1(Issue suppl_1, July 2017).