Many Elderly Latinos Face Daily Struggle, Report Says

“A great number” of the nation’s elderly Latinos “face a daily struggle, living on limited incomes and coping with poor health,” according to a report that will be issued today at a House Aging Committee hearing.

The first scientific national survey of the 1 million Latinos over the age of 65, conducted by the Commonwealth Commission on Elderly People Living Alone, said that the typical Latino elderly person “struggles to make ends meet on less than $104 a week.”

22% Live in Poverty

The study said that 22% of the elderly Latinos live in poverty, compared with 12% of Americans over the age of 65. Only 29% of them receive a pension, compared with 45% of the general retirement-age population.

Health problems are common, with 54% reporting fair or poor health, compared with 35% of the general elderly population.

“Despite having worked for most of their lives, many Hispanics find themselves in old age without the means to maintain their independence,” said the report, which was based on telephone interviews.

The poverty of old age is linked to “cumulative deficits throughout life,” the report said, noting that almost 75% of those surveyed had an eighth-grade education or less and 40% did not speak English.

Must Rely on Others

Independent living is difficult, “and many must rely on children or other relatives for economic, health and social support,” according to the study, which was based on a national survey of 2,299 people.

“Speaking Spanish only and having little education, many elderly Hispanics are precluded from receiving the benefits typically available to retired people,” the study said.

“Instead, a high percentage of elderly Hispanics are dependent on Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid to fill the gaps left by their low incomes and inadequate health insurance coverage.” SSI is a welfare program for the aged and disabled, and Medicaid provides health care for the poor of all ages.

Robbed of Independence

For many of the elderly, poverty and poor health rob them of independence. Nearly a third live with children, brothers and sisters, other relatives or other people. “Many may be doing so because their incomes are so low or their health and functional status so poor that they are unable to cope without assistance,” the survey said.

Asked about their greatest problems, the survey group identified: not having enough money, 41%; having too many medical bills, 32%; depending on others too much, 30%; feeling lonely, 24%, and taking care of a sick spouse, 20%.

Mexican-Americans account for 65% of the elderly Latino population, followed by Cuban-Americans at 15% and Puerto Ricans at 10%.

Increased levels of education and fluency in English should help younger Latinos get better jobs, the report said. But the “drop-out rate among young, school-age Hispanics is currently high . . . and many may already be on their way to lives of low-paying jobs and poverty.”