There’s no doubt about it, the poor state of the economy affects everyone and many seniors are living in poverty and must make major sacrifices to survive. Many of them are living on Social Security and have scraped by until now as the cost of living has increased.

High co-payments cause some seniors to go without needed medication, they struggle to make ends meet and wonder how they’re going to pay the heating bill this winter. There’s tough choices to be made: pay the rent or buy groceries? Sadly, even the last living Titanic survivor is selling her mementos to pay for another month in her nursing home.

Many seniors are re-entering the labor force to survive, but that’s not an option for everyone struggling with rising food, health, energy and housing bills. Some indicators that an elderly person may be making tough financial decisions are: their house is too warm in the summer or too cold in the winter, home repairs not being made, routine outings or vacations are cancelled or there’s sadly not enough food in the house.

Laws and programs vary from state to state, but there are some resources for assistance:

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

The National Council on Aging has a Benefits Checkup to help make sure people are getting the benefits they’re entitled to.

GovBenefits.gov is another resource with information on over 1,000 benefit and assistance programs.

If your loved one is a veteran, be sure to look into VA benefits, including TriCare

Be sure to look into Meals on Wheels for food assistance.

Eldercare.gov may provide some information on assistance in your area.

Every state has a State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or SHIP that offers one-on-one counseling and assistance to people with Medicare.

Some states have Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs

Shared Housing might be an option to keep a senior’s housing costs down. Check the National Shared Housing Resource Center for more information.

Seniors are vulnerable to economic downturns and those who lived through the Great Depression may even be more reactive and withdraw all their money from the bank or go without needed items.

Even though it can be difficult, it’s important to talk to your aging loved ones about finances in order to address potential problems before they become urgent.