How COTS serves this growing, vulnerable population.
At a time when they should be settling comfortably into retirement to enjoy the leisurely activities of their golden years, seniors are instead falling into homelessness for the first time—a disturbingly growing trend seen nationwide.
This increase in older adult homelessness is evident in the Recuperative Care (RC) program at COTS Mary Isaak Center.
According to HMIS data, in 2022, just more than half (52%) of RC clients were over age 55. In 2023, this number grew to 67%.
Recuperative Care also recently served its oldest client ever: 82 years old.
“We’re seeing this new group of older adults in the homeless population,” says Julia Gaines, COTS Sr. Recuperative Care Manager. “They are entering homeless after spending decades in a blue-collar career, maybe once owning a home. This group doesn’t have mental health or substance abuse issues or a criminal record. These seniors simply got sick, became disabled, or couldn’t afford their home, and without anyone to support them, they became homeless.”
This is exactly what happened to COTS shelter client Linda Guajardo, 73. “My husband died, and then I had a stroke,” she says of how she came to COTS in 2023. “I didn’t want to come to a shelter, but I had no choice,” she says sitting in her new apartment. “Turns out it was the best thing I could have done.”
Because they are experiencing homelessness for the first time, seniors often don’t know about services available in their communities and are sometimes hesitant to ask for help.
“Connection to resources is a key part of the services we provide,” says RC staff.
With accessibility, mobility, and cognitive issues, seniors have higher rates of food insecurity and transportation barriers, and are particularly vulnerable to victimization, especially if on the streets.
“When you’re older, you can’t carry all your stuff everywhere,” says Linda, recalling her time spent living on the streets. “So, people end up stealing it from you. They’ll take whatever they can grab.”
Serving older adults in shelters comes with unique needs and challenges. They are more likely to be suffering from common age-related ailments and mobility issues—vision and hearing loss, and dementia—all of which can cause imbalance and a high risk for falls. Some seniors may actually require 24/7 care at a skilled nursing facility (SNF), but it’s a challenge for hospital discharge planners to find SNF beds for patients on Medi-Cal in Sonoma County.
Julia says the key to serving older adults is homelessness prevention. “The best line of defense is their primary care doctor, who can assess them for housing and financial instability and connect them to services like COTS before they lose their home,” she says. “Meanwhile, we will ensure that the seniors that walk through our doors have access to health care, pathways to housing, and are treated with respect and dignity.”