While we celebrate and reflect during Hispanic Heritage month, let’s not dismiss the challenges and systemic barriers hindering the ability of many Hispanic and Latino adults to achieve economic security, specifically those age 55 and above. And join NCOA in exploring ways to expand health promotion and benefits access to this population.

Hispanic adults age 65 and older represent a significant portion of the population, with projections indicating growth from 8% to 21% over the coming decades.¹  

Yet despite their growing numbers and increasing footprint in our workforce:

• Many Latinos are among the working poor and experience economic hardships.
• Three-quarters of Latinos rely on Social Security for at least half of their income. For example, approximately 45% rely on Social Security for 90% or more of their income, while about 38% rely on it for all of their income.²
• The median income for Latinos is notably lower than that of their white counterparts, worsening issues related to poverty and financial insecurity. In 2022, among adults 65+ and older, 17% and 18% of those identifying as Latino and African American, respectively, lived in poverty—more than twice the rate of those who identified as non-Hispanic white (8%).³  

Economic disparity: Contributing factors are not only financial

Some key factors contributing to this economic disparity: the historical lack of access to higher education; lack of information or misinformation about available benefits and eligibility; fear or mistrust of government institutions; and a lack of well-paying jobs. Many older Latinos entered the workforce in low-wage positions, limiting their ability to save for retirement. To reduce this reality, many older adults must work beyond their anticipated retirement or return to work. Yet age discrimination is pervasive, creating barriers to employment and training assistance. Also, language and cultural barriers, and limited access to financial resources, can hinder their ability to navigate the complexities of retirement planning and increase health care costs.

Studies show that people of color often have higher rates of chronic illnesses and face disparities in accessing health care treatment and prevention, which can lead to increased medical expenses. In fact, Blacks and Hispanics/Latinos age 60+ have $4,000 more in average yearly costs due to chronic disease than whites and far lower financial resources.⁴ To help address this disparity, NCOA is excited to introduce a toolkit for community-based organizations and professionals that work to implement and sustain evidence-based health programs in Hispanic/Latino communities. Hear from experts involved in developing the toolkit and brainstorm additional solutions and further advance health initiatives by joining our webinar: Empowering Change: Advancing Evidence-Based Health Promotion Programs in Hispanic and Latino Communities.

Understanding barriers and using proven strategies

Despite challenges, aging Latinos also exhibit resilience and resourcefulness. Many engage in community support networks, which aid in navigating financial, home, and health care systems. Even with these efforts, a variety of public and private benefit programs available to help people pay for food, health care, and utilities are not being accessed.

The NCOA Center for Economic Well-Being has found that a human-centered approach tailored to the unique needs of older adults is needed to increase access to benefits. This approach works in raising awareness of available resources, helping people understand what they are eligible for, and helping those eligible completing an application for benefits.

Benefits Enrollment Centers (BEC) are a proven vehicle to advance economic security for low-income Medicare beneficiaries and drive resources into historically underserved markets, including Hispanic and Latino communities, by connecting people to benefits that can help them pay for food, housing costs, and medical expenses. BEC’s help adults 65+ and adults with disabilities apply for other programs, such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI), pharmaceutical assistance programs, and transportation, to name a few. Since January, out of 72,619 BEC clients assisted, 16.88% (10,086 people) were Hispanic/Latino. Of those assisted, 20.83% were Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applicants or renewals. Given these numbers, there is an opportunity and need to engage more Hispanic and Latino older adults who may be missing out on much-needed support.

While BEC’s have helped over half a million beneficiaries access money-saving programs, barriers to getting people enrolled remain. To fully support BEC sites with a strong track record of serving low income communities, NCOA recently released findings from a  feasibility study that highlighted some barriers for state and federal agencies to consider:

• State benefit websites often lack a comprehensive list of programs to apply for at one time, such as Medicaid, food assistance, and home energy assistance.
• Few applications cater to older adults. Most focus on children and families.
• Most applications stop short of enrollment.
• Most applications are not mobile-friendly (only 3 in 10 benefits applications are accessible on a mobile device like a smartphone).
• Applications are not in multiple languages.
• Applications are time-consuming and burdensome.
• Older adults are concerned about privacy and may not trust that their personal information will be kept confidential.

One of our partners, Chicanos Por La Causa, Inc. (CPLC), is an all-encompassing organization for the underserved, and its mission is to “drive economic and political empowerment.” CPLC’s programs and services focus on five core areas—Housing, Economic Development, Health & Human Services, Education, and Advocacy—and help individuals and families gain access to a comprehensive range of supports: medical care, behavioral health services, affordable housing, quality education, living wage jobs, civic and community engagement, and healthy foods. CPLC is an example of how having staff that are bilingual/bicultural is key to building a trusting, non-threatening relationship with the communities you serve. At NCOA, we have a number of BEC partners serving Latino and Hispanic communities in providing a path toward economic security and the opportunity to age well.

To continue this conversation and learn more, tune in for Empowering Change: Advancing Evidence-Based Health Promotion Programs in Hispanic and Latino Communities. If you can’t make the Oct. 8 live webinar, register to watch the recorded session. And explore the toolkit for ideas on expanding the reach of chronic disease self-management education (CDSME).

Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images for National Council on Aging

Sources

1. U.S. Census Bureau. 2017 National Population Projection Tables. Projections for the United States: 2017 to 2060. Found on the internet at https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2017/demo/popproj/2017-summary-tables.html

2. League of United Latin American Citizens. Latinos and Social Security: What’s at Stake? Found on the internet at https://lulac.org/advocacy/issues/ss_whats_at_stake/

3. U.S. Census Bureau. Historical Poverty Tables: People and Families: 1959 to 2023. Found on the internet at https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/income-poverty/historical-poverty-people.html

4. Susan Silberman. The Inequities in the Cost of Chronic Diseases: Why It Matters for Older Adults. April 21, 2022. Found on the internet at https://www.ncoa.org/article/the-inequities-in-the-cost-of-chronic-disease-why-it-matters-for-older-adults/