Supporting Older Adults' Basic Needs

Justice in Aging has put together a Fact Sheet and Issue Brief about federal programs that help older adults meet their basic needs: health care, income, housing, and food.  These programs make it possible for older adults to live healthy and independently.  

A combination of federal programs help Americans meet these basic needs and thrive as they grow older. These programs work together, forming a web of support that is critical to their success. For example, without resources to buy healthy food, older adults with diabetes or heart disease would jeopardize their health. Without long-term services and supports, many older adults would not be able to afford to live safely at home. Without housing assistance, many older adults on fixed incomes would have to choose between paying for rent or medicine. Older adults whose only income is from Supplemental Security Income (SSI) would not be able to afford groceries without the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or pay the rent without rental assistance, or see the doctor without Medicaid.