Aging Well: News & Insights for Seniors and Caregivers
- Medi-Cal and Medicare dual eligibility: 1,420,564 older adults 65+ statewide.
- SSI maximum monthly benefit $1,234; 589,962 older adults 65+ receive payments.
- California has highest number of older adults in poverty; 21% live in poverty, Elder Index finds 33% can't meet basic needs.
- IHSS provides in-home assistance to avoid institutional care; 503,634 older adults 65+ receive services.
- Homelessness among older adults: 48% of homeless adults are 50+, 70,627 older adults 55+ interacted with the homeless response system.
Currently, older adults age 60+ account for 22% of California’s population[1]. By 2030, one-quarter of Californian’s population will be older adults 60+, intensifying the need to invest in the critical programs that support them. Now is the time to take action.
Medi-Cal & Medicare[2]
- Older adults 65+ who have incomes at or below 138% of the federal poverty level and meet asset requirements are dually eligible for both Medi-Cal & Medicare for their health care coverage.
- 1,420,564 older adults 65+ statewide are dually eligible.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)[3][4]
- SSI is a federal income supplement program available to low-income older adults and people with disabilities. The maximum monthly benefit a person can receive to live on is $1,234.
- 589,962 older adults 65+ statewide receive SSI payments.
Poverty Levels[5][6]
- California is the state with the highest number of older adults living in poverty.
- According to Census data, 21% of older adults 65+ are living in poverty.
- The Elder Index, the most accurate standard of measurement, gauges income insecurity among California’s older adults and takes into account local cost of living.
- According to that measure, 33% of older adults 65+ can’t meet their basic needs.
In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)[7]
- IHSS provides in-home assistance to eligible older adults and people with disabilities instead of institutional care and enables recipients to remain safely in their own homes.
- 503,634 older adults 65+ statewide receive IHSS services.
Older Adults Experiencing Homelessness[8][9]
- 48% of homeless adults are age 50+.
- 70,627 older adults 55+ statewide interacted with the homeless response system.
Endnotes
-
Data Dashboard for Aging, California Population Profile, Adults Age 60 and Older. ↑
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Department of Health Care Services, By Medicare Dual Status and Age Group, Certified Eligibles, May 2026. ↑
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Social Security Office of Retirement and Disability Policy, SSI Recipients by State and County, 2024. ↑
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Social Security Administration, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in California, January 2026 ↑
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California Budget and Policy Center, California’s Persistent Poverty Crisis: 2024 Rates Remain Alarmingly High, September 2025. ↑
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UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, California Elder Economic Security™ Index (CEI). ↑
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California Department of Social Services, Monthly IHSS Program Data, April 2026. ↑
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UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, Toward Dignity Understanding Older Adult Homelessness, May 2024. ↑
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Homeless Data Integration System, Demographic Characteristics of People Experiencing Homelessness that California Served. ↑
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