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Updated: Jun 17, 2026
06:52
Assessment of Dependence in Activities of Daily Living Among Older Patients in an Acute Care Unit
Published on: September 30, 2020
How many struggle to get by in retirement?
Barbara A Butrica1, Daniel P Murphy, Sheila R Zedlewski
1Income and Benefits Policy Center, Urban Institute, Washington, DC 20037, USA. bbutrica@urban.org
The Gerontologist
|December 18, 2009
Summary
The official poverty measure undercounts seniors in need. Alternative metrics reveal 0.3 to 1.5 million more adults aged 65+ face poverty, especially when considering healthcare costs.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology and Public Health Policy
- Socioeconomic Determinants of Health in Older Adults
Background:
- The official poverty rate for older adults may not accurately reflect their financial realities.
- Existing measures often fail to account for crucial factors like out-of-pocket medical expenses and asset utilization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the official poverty rate for adults aged 65+ with alternative measures.
- To assess the true resources and needs of older adults using comprehensive financial data.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the 2004 Health and Retirement Study.
- Incorporated income, assets, in-kind transfers, and out-of-pocket medical expenses.
- Accounted for federal/state income taxes and the annuity value of assets.
Main Results:
- Alternative poverty measures, including out-of-pocket health spending, indicate a higher poverty rate among seniors.
- An additional 0.3 to 1.5 million older adults are estimated to live in poverty compared to the official measure.
Conclusions:
- Current poverty measures for older adults require updating to reflect their actual circumstances.
- Accurate poverty metrics are crucial for policy decisions regarding Social Security and Medicare reforms.
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