Service Coordinators and Public Housing: An Essential Link for Seniors to Age in Place

摘要

In 2006, the first wave of 76 million aging baby boomers turned 60 years old, ushering in a tsunami age-wave that will result in a significant increase in the number and percentage of senior citizens over the next few years. The current number of persons aged 65 and older is projected to double from 35 million (12.4%) to over 70 million (20%) in less than twenty-five years. Perhaps more importantly to public policy makers, those aged 85 and older—who are the most frail and in need of services-are projected to quadruple from 3.5 million to 14 million. Approximately 3.4 million (11%) of the elderly are poor; the poverty rate for elderly women (13.6%) is twice the rate of elderly men and the poverty rate of elderly blacks and Hispanics is more than double the rate for elderly whites.