At present, individuals worldwide aged 65 and above are at a greater risk of becoming or remaining impoverished compared to other age groups, a situation referred to as senior poverty. Typically, adults in this age group have either ceased working or reduced their working hours due to health issues or limited transportation. A United Nations (U.N.) report highlights many countries lacking sufficient social systems to adequately support and care for adults aged 65 and older.

This has been noticed in both developed and developing nations. In fact, South Korea was found to have the highest rate of senior poverty in 2023, with poverty rates among senior adults surpassing 40%. The second highest rates were found in Estonia and Latvia, with both countries’ senior poverty rates above 30%. Additionally, countries such as Australia, Japan and the United States (U.S.) reported 20% or higher poverty rates among their senior populations.

These numbers show that, in many countries, the risk of poverty only rises with age. Babken Babajanian, an author working with HelpAge, says, “Across the world, we’re hearing shocking stories of older people going hungry, selling their assets or even begging in the street to survive.” Organizations like HelpAge International and the AARP Foundation are working hard to find a solution to the rising global senior poverty rates.

HelpAge International

HelpAge International strives to better the lives of older women and men in low and middle-income countries. They focus mainly on older individuals living in crisis-prone and economically insecure areas. The organization aims to “empower older people to lead dignified, active and healthy lives.”

HelpAge accomplishes this by responding to humanitarian crises and ensuring seniors can access livable incomes through social support systems. They focus on building a society where people of all ages can thrive. The organization advocates for the rights of older people. It challenges ageism and raises awareness about issues such as elder abuse.

HelpAge International has networks in Africa, Asia, Eurasia, Europe, Latin America and North America. With such a fantastic reach, this vast network has 170 members in more than 90 countries. Thanks to their extensive network, HelpAge assisted more than 2.4 million senior women and men in accessing health care through their interventions in 2023. In 2023, HelpAge estimates that around 659,000 older citizens were positively impacted by their humanitarian work.

The AARP Foundation

The AARP Foundation aims to build a future without senior poverty. They do this by helping economically vulnerable seniors secure essential goods, health care and knowledge. This assistance aims to help them improve the quality of their lives, thereby strengthening communities and restoring hope into the lives of older adults.

AARP helps older adults with things like receiving rent and mortgage assistance and support for social isolation. The organization also provides resume-building and job interview coaching to people aged 50 and older. Recently, Google made a $10 million grant to the foundation to help fund the digital training workshops it provides to thousands of seniors.

The AARP Foundation has helped more than 900,000 older adults who were vulnerable to becoming impoverished. They have secured more than $720 million in income for older adults living with low incomes. Like HelpAge International, the AARP Foundation is utilizing every resource available to aid them in fighting senior poverty.

– Kimber Peters
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