In the US, the average age of an unhoused individual in the 1990's was 30. By the 2000's it was 40. Today, this number has increased to 55.
Several factors contribute to this troubling trend. One reason is the lack of affordable housing options. Many older adults live on fixed incomes which have not kept pace with the exploding cost of housing. In fact, social security payments and disablity payments are far below the average monthly rent rates in Seattle. Moreover, the lack of affordable medical care and the increasing cost of prescription drugs can drain resources, pushing older adults into homelessness.
Yet, social services are still mostly geared to serve a younger population. Most shelters are unable to provide health care for older adults. In King County, there is a single homeless shelter - St. Martins de Porres Shelter - focusing on people over 50. It employs nursing staff specializing in the care of older, unhoused adults and provides dedicated counselling services. King County also has one street medic team and two mobile medical vans exclusively for older adults. The UW Harborview Medical Respite program, which treats homeless people who are too sick to be out on the streets but do not require hospital care, currently has 34 beds for all of King County.
Resources and funding for homelessness support and medical is stretched thin while the need exponentially increases. Affordable housing and the ability to successfully age in place are key factors that will alleviate some of this burden. This is why our work at Eastside Friends of Seniors is so important. The services provided by our volunteers do much to offset the financial and physical burdens of those we help. By helping seniors live independently we are addressing the housing instablitity crisis for older adults in our community.
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