Healthy aging

These negative SDOH can have a significant impact on the health of older adults living in poverty. For example, older adults living in poverty are more likely to have chronic health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. They are also more likely to experience social isolation and loneliness, which can increase the risk of depression and other mental health problems.

Here are some specific examples of how SDOH can impact the health of older adults living in poverty:

• Economic stability: Older adults living in poverty may have difficulty affording food, housing, and medications. They may also be more likely to experience financial stress, which can lead to health problems such as high blood pressure and heart disease.
• Education access and quality: Older adults with lower levels of education may be less likely to understand their health conditions and to make informed decisions about their health care. They may also be more likely to have limited access to health information and resources.
• Health care access and quality: Older adults living in poverty may have difficulty accessing affordable and quality health care. They may also have to travel long distances to see a doctor or to get to a pharmacy.
• Neighborhood and built environment: Older adults living in neighborhoods with high crime rates and limited access to healthy food and affordable housing are more likely to experience health problems. For example, older adults who live in neighborhoods with high crime rates may be afraid to leave their homes, which can lead to social isolation and loneliness.
• Social and community context: Older adults living in communities with limited social support are more likely to experience social isolation and loneliness, which can lead to health problems such as depression and other mental health problems.

It is important to note that SDOH can have a cumulative impact on the health of older adults living in poverty. This means that the more negative SDOH an older adult experiences, the greater their risk of poor health outcomes.

There are a number of things that can be done to address the SDOH of older adults living in poverty. These include:

• Investing in programs and services that promote economic stability, education, health care access, and social support for older adults.
• Creating communities that are safe, walkable, and have easy access to healthy food and affordable housing.
• Raising awareness of the SDOH and their impact on the health of older adults.

By addressing the SDOH of older adults living in poverty, we can help them to live healthier, longer, and more fulfilling lives.

The social determinants of health (SDOH) are the conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes. These conditions include economic stability, education access and quality, health care access and quality, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community context.

Older adults living in poverty are disproportionately impacted by negative SDOH. For example, older adults living in poverty are more likely to live in neighborhoods with high crime rates and limited access to healthy food and affordable housing. They are also more likely to have lower levels of education and less access to quality health care.