The Elder Economic Security Initiative™ Wider Opportunities for Women Health and Medicine Policy Research Group in collaboration with Shawnee Alliance for Seniors

What is the Elder Standard? A new tool for use by policymakers, advocates, older people, families and others to see what minimum income level is necessary for people to continue living in the community Developed by the Gerontology Institute at the University of MA, Boston and Wider Opportunities for Women using publicly available census and other data Calculated for 54 different household combinations

What Can EESI Do? Compare the actual cost of living for older people in different living arrangement and the average available income in communities in all of the state’s 102 counties. Make this gap visible Change thinking from poverty to economic security Demonstrate that while older people are no longer the poorest group in America there are large numbers who are economically at the edge through no fault of their own Show how this status has a spill-over effect in communities and within families Formulate strategies to close the “benefits gap” Transform how states and programs define need

The Standard Can demonstrate how income needs change as life circumstances change Is geographically sensitive and linked to different living arrangements and health status Relies on strong statewide coalitions to make the Standard a functional tool in mitigating the insecurities that dominate the lives of so many older people (WOW has also developed a parallel Family Standard)

EESI ~ Illinois Illinois is among the five states for which a complete Standard has been completed Launch date—early June 2008

Standard--Conclusions Subsidies for housing and health care are essential for both individuals and couples who are trying to live at the FP level or average SS payments Housing represents from 20-40% of total expenses Supplemental health care costs: $ /mo for one person; $ /mo for a couple Lacking other sources of income doing without becomes necessary

Moral Implications Dignity, choice, self-determination is a myth if one cannot make ends meet. It matters that women are the poorest among the nations’ elders, in part, because they took on social roles, like care-giving, that would otherwise have to be paid for by government. Women’s care-giving activities are worth approximately $400 annually far exceeding any public dollars that cover LTC costs. Given competition for resources, what ought our social obligations be to the elders in our communities? How ought we balance individual, familiar, and social obligations?

Next Steps Focus public attention/call for action Identify gaps in programs Update income and eligibility limits to reflect today’s economy Use as planning & assessment tool Encourage use by policymakers, agencies, elders and families Transform public dialogue

Launching the Standard In your communities, what messages are the most critical? What do you see as the most immediate use of the Standard? Who needs to know this? How can we reach what audiences?