What Makes the Elderly a Vulnerable Population

Economically, the elderly are a vulnerable group because their state of health is negatively affected by their lack of income. The vast majority of older adults does not work and therefore, have fewer options to earn income. As Chesney and Anderson (2016) observe, when declining income is coupled with the risk of the ever-rising cost of living, the elderly find themselves at an economic disadvantage because they are unable to find the best care when their income options are going down, their savings are running out and health costs are increasing (Chesnay & Anderson, 2016). A very small percentage of the elderly are able to afford good health care because for one to be in a stable economic position, they have to have good pensions and housing among other assets.What Makes the Elderly a Vulnerable Population

The housing and pension assets are generally absent among the elderly in the lower socioeconomic status. With the residents now living longer, the elderly are a vulnerable population because outliving one’s financial resources has serious repercussions on ones’ health. It has been outlined that about 21% of the older adults in the US have Social Security as their only source of income. These economic factors negatively affect the health of the elderly population because they can only afford substandard health care.