HARTFORD, Conn. — Roughly 18% of Connecticut residents are at least 65 years old, according to the U.S. Census. It’s always been tough for seniors on fixed incomes to make ends meet, but in the words of one local expert, the COVID-19 pandemic took those problems and ramped them up to 11.
One of the most elemental problems for seniors has also been one of the trickiest to solve. Where to live, both safely and affordably, in part because, as people age, they face a dilemma. They may not have the money and mobility to maintain their homes, but finding affordable and available senior living is even more difficult.
At West Hartford Fellowship Housing, both Janette Isaac and Marcella Baczewski know they’re the lucky ones. They both got in before the pandemic-related shocks to the economy and housing market made affordable housing scarce.
“It was definitely a blessing, because, you know, it is hard, even for regular people to find housing,“ Isaac said.
Isaac said smart budgeting has given her the chance to enjoy retirement. Baczewski said she is enjoying retirement living at West Hartford Fellowship Housing, too, but she also works there, part-time, to earn extra cash.
“I work helping seniors with, you know, grocery shopping, taking them to doctor's appointments, those types of things,” Baczewski said.
Baczewski said she chooses to work, but said she knows other seniors have no choice.
“They're doing it because they have to do it,” she said.
Maureen McIntyre, the C.E.O. of the North Central Area Agency on Aging, said a lot of seniors would prefer to age at home.
“Every survey that we see, people are saying we want to age in place in the community,“ she said.
However, over time, rising costs and decreasing mobility have made aging in place even harder than it already was.
“It costs money, Connecticut’s an expensive state,” said Doris LaTorre, the C.E.O. of Building Neighborhoods Together, formerly Bridgeport Neighborhood Trust.
“Seniors are, beginning to, you know, cut back on their medications or beginning to ration food,“ McIntyre said.
For seniors who can’t stay at home anymore, the next stop for many is downsizing to more affordable living, if they can find any. LaTorre’s group has already built 250 affordable housing units in Bridgeport this year, but she said there are many obstacles to building those units, especially out in suburban towns where NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) sentiments can be tough to overcome.
“They just get scared that you know that the prices are gonna go down on their properties,” LaTorre explained, “I mean, are you really going to be threatened by the 75-year-old grandma that's going to be living in that affordable apartment, because that's who's going to be living there?”
While there are plenty of problems that need fixing, there are also plenty of ways both big and small that seniors can get some relief, as there are also plenty of organizations that are there to help.
“The first step is getting the phone to ring,” McIntyre said.
Both McIntyre and LaTorre said a great place to start is 2-1-1.
“You tell them what your issue is, they assign someone to you, who's just going to be able to look at everything and say, okay, this is this, this is this, [these] programs are available,” said LaTorre.
There are programs to help seniors age in place, like MyHomeCT.
“You can get up to $50,000 to bring you current on your mortgage, and get monthly help for a limited amount of time,” LaTorre said, “this is free money.”
She said there are energy assistance programs to help pay utilities, as well as programs to pay municipal taxes, or even help fix a roof. However, they vary by area.
“Every municipality has something different and that's why I encourage people to call 2-1-1,” she said.
Then, there are town services, like senior centers.
“West Hartford Town Hall, they have a social services department, and they can inform anyone if they're eligible for SNAP to get assistance with food,” Baczewski said.
For all the help available, it’s also important to know that it’s incumbent upon seniors to make sure they’re budgeting correctly and not wasting scarce resources.
“Sometimes it's a strategic use of homecare services, you know, perhaps they're paying out of pocket for things that actually could be covered,” said McIntyre.
For Janette Isaac, that meant not keeping a car.
“That was a significant savings, you know, so therefore I can use that extra money toward bills towards the other little things,“ Isaac said.
However, for seniors who do need transportation, there is Dial-A-Ride, as well as local volunteers with cars, like Marcella.
“Keep that hope alive. There is help out there. There are people out there willing to help. Just let it be known sometimes,” she said.
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