With the continuing challenges of the economy and the rapidly increasing number of senior citizens, the number of older Americans struggling to put food on their tables is also on the rise. According to a report released this month by the food bank network Feeding America and funded by AARP Foundation, approximately 13 million American adults aged 50 and older are battling hunger. Feeding America is a “nationwide network of 200 food banks that provide food to more than 46 million through 60,000 food pantries and meal programs in communities across America,” according to their website.

Matt Knott, president of Feeding America, said in a press release, “Our network serves 13 million older adults and we expect that number to rise. Every day for the next 15 years, 10,000 people will turn 65.” The report, Baby Boomers and Beyond: Facing Hunger After Fifty examined comprehensive profiles of older adults and their households, splitting them into three major categories:

All adults above the age of 50

“Pre-seniors,” age 50 to 64

Seniors, age 65 to 74 and age 75 and above

Further analysis revealed that among multi-generational households, those with at least one older adult and at least one grandchild, 77 percent live at or below the federal poverty line. And among that many challenges pre-seniors face, they are particularly vulnerable to hardship and are more likely than their older peers to experience housing instability, such as having to move in with friends or family in the past year (18%) or have faced foreclosure or eviction in the past five years (15%) as well as live in a household that does not have reliable access (as defined by the USDA) to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food (86%).

AARP Foundation president Lisa Marsh Ryerson said in a statement. “We have found that the ‘youngest old’ tend to suffer the most, often having to skimp on meals or skip them altogether because they can’t afford them.” That “youngest old,” or “pre-seniors,” includes approximate 8 million Baby Boomers.

Maura Daly, a spokeswoman for Feeding America, explained to USA Today, that age group is “particularly vulnerable to hunger because the vast majority are not eligible for federal programs aimed at helping older adults such as Medicare and Social Security.”

In addition to Feeding America, many U.S. seniors may receive meals from local chapters of Meals on Wheels or food assistance from other community programs.  To learn more, watch the USA Today video below and read the full report of Baby Boomers and Beyond: Facing Hunger After Fifty  on FeedingAmerica.org/SolveSeniorHunger.

If the time has come when your aging loved one is no longer able to live independently, please contact the knowledgeable staff at ElderLink to help you find elder care services or an assisted living facility within California that is customized for your family.

For a generation that probably still remembers the excitement of gathering around the giant family television set to watch one of four channels (ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS) on a black and white screen, it is no wonder the ability to navigate smartphones, Apple watches and tablets may be more than a bit intimidating.

But technological advances haven’t just improved our entertainment options; they have also improved our health options. While the old “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” Life Alert bracelet commercials may have become pop culture joke; the need for remote assistance for seniors is actually a growing market. The U.S. Census Bureau states the population of senior citizens could double to 84 million people by 2050 and an increasing number of technology companies have taken notice.

According to an interview with NBC News, Marjorie Skubic, director of the University of Missouri’s Center for Eldercare and Rehabilitation Technology, says, “There was a stereotype earlier that seniors weren’t interested in technology” but “seniors are willing to embrace technology as long as it has a function that’s helpful to them.” Therefore, it is likely wildly popular social media apps such as Snapchat or Twitter might not be a be draw to the senior set, senior-friendly cell phones, tablets and other digital devices have their appeal.

A recent study by the Pew Research Center found that 59 percent of American adults age 65 and older used the Internet in 2014 and 77 percent used a cell phone.

Looking for another option beyond an emergency pendant or the complicated and expensive smart watches, such as the Apple Watch, Iggy Fanlo, 53, CEO and co-founder of Lively, came up with a solution. A simple, waterproof watch that features a large digital display of the time, can count your steps and offers users the option to call for help by pressing a big, orange button along the side of the watch face.

Lively told Today.com his watch is designed specifically to look similar to other smart watches. “Nothing about it screams ‘medical device.’ Seniors aren’t any different from everyone else. Whether you’re eight or 88, you still want nice things.”

Other popular products redesigned for seniors include the grandPad, a modified Android tablet with simple user interface and live member support and SingFit a karaoke-type program to keep older adults mentally engaged. Used as a type of music therapy in more than 50 senior citizen centers around the U.S., SingFit speaks song lyrics out loud in plain language before the users sing the lyrics, allowing individuals with cognitive conditions, such as dementia, or vision problems, to participate.

Encouraging older adults to stay physically, mentally and socially engaged can help prevent feelings of depression and isolation – problems all too common in the elderly. With more and more tech gadgets hitting the market everyday, opportunities to help your aging loved ones remain independent, healthy and active also increase. But if the time has come when your aging loved one is no longer able to live independently, please contact the knowledgeable staff at ElderLink to help you find elder care services or an assisted living facility within California that is customized for your family.

If you are not familiar with the toe tapping, hip-swinging tune, Uptown Funk, you have been missing out. With smooth moves and a poignant life advice, this video of senior citizens getting down to was so hot, it was one of the top trending videos on the Internet.

Forget what you’ve heard about 40 being the new 30, 80 is becoming the new 60 and nothing demonstrates that age is just a number than the video below. According to Buzzfeed, the ages of the dancers range between 65 and 92, not to mention, that among them they had 500 children and 1,200 grandchildren!

So the next time your grandparents start to tell you about the good ol’ days, you might want to listen!

But if the time has come when your aging loved one is no longer able to live independently, please contact the knowledgeable staff at ElderLink to help you find elder care services or an assisted living facility within California that is customized for your family.