Most single seniors can't afford in-home care or assisted living in Iowa
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More than 90% of Des Moines metro residents over 75 who live alone cannot afford in-home care or assisted living, according to a new report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.
Why it matters: Those types of care are frequently among the last options before people enter nursing homes, which is an industry in crisis.
- Overall, the U.S. is unprepared to provide housing and care for its surging elderly population, the Harvard report concludes.
The big picture: Fewer than 15% of the 75+ segment who live alone in metro areas across the U.S. can afford the care in addition to their housing costs, per the Center.
- For context, more than 40% of Americans 65 and older live by themselves. That share jumps to nearly 60% for people over 80, Axios' April Rubin and Erica Pandey report.
Zoom in: Income inequality among older populations is increasing while mortgage debt is rising.
- The number of cost-burden older adults is at an all-time high with more experiencing homelessness, per the report.
Meanwhile, accessible housing for people with ambulatory difficulties is frequently unavailable.
- And events like extreme heat and harsh storms linked with climate change are affecting an increasing number of older people, according to the report.
What they're saying: Many older adults will have to forgo needed care or rely on family and friends for assistance as the U.S. population ages, Jennifer Molinksy, project director of the Housing An Aging Society Program at the Center, said in a statement.
- More funding is a start but there's a tremendous need for creative alternatives, she said.
Related: Solutions to Iowa's "gray tsunami" care crisis
Of note: A group of Iowa Senate Democrats and elder care advocates are calling for more state oversight and investigations into nursing homes.
- A press conference is today at the Capitol, starting at 9am.