Presents findings from a study of low-income older Californians with disabilities receiving Medicare, Medi-Cal, and In-Home Supportive Services; their unmet physical, mental health, and social needs; and limited care options. Outlines policy implications

A. E. Ted Benjamin

Anne Soon Choi

Carolyn Mendez-Luck

Eva M. Durazo

Jacqueline M. Torres

Kathryn G. Kietzman

Steven P. Wallace

English

Low-income older Californians with disabilities depend on a variety of public programs to remain in their own homes. This policy note provides the first findings from a project that is following a group of seniors who depend on a fragile arrangement of paid and unpaid help to maintain their independence. The analysis finds that the disability needs of these older adults are often unstable, with both their physical and mental health status sometimes changing day to day. Public services are a crucial component of these individuals’ support networks, even if they sometimes fall short of addressing all their complex needs. Many of these disabled older adults have nowhere else to turn for assistance should their public services be cut. Interviews reveal that these people are typically in poor physical and psychological condition and are just managing to live safely in their homes. At the same time, they share a common goal of staying at home and maintaining their independence

Kietzman, Kathryn

Wallace, Steven P.

Durazo, Eva

Torres, Jacqueline

Choi, Anne Soon

Benjamin, A. E.

Medez-Luck, Carolyn

eScholarship - University of California

Holding On: Older Californians with Disabilities Rely on Public Services to Remain Independent

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Holding On: Older Californians With Disabilities Rely on Public Services to Remain Independent

https://www.issuelab.org/resources/9699/9699.pdf

Holding On: Older Californians With Disabilities Rely on Public Services to Remain Independent

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eScholarship - University of California

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