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Day in the Life: How State Governments Can Create Digital Access to Assistance Programs 
for Seniors

A simplified process enables seniors to complete accessible,
easy-to-understand forms to enroll in assistance programs. 

No one should be forced to decide between buying necessary medication or putting food on the table. But in many areas of the U.S., seniors are faced with this difficult decision. Isolation, health issues and living on a fixed income are daily battles that make everyday activities and thinking about the future exhausting, if not impossible, for many elders. Although there are assistance programs available, deciphering complex paperwork in order to establish eligibility can quickly become an insurmountable task. 

One solution for state governments is to create a guided online experience to help low-income seniors and individuals with disabilities find the correct, easy-to-fill-in forms that match their needs. This process can help seniors save money on Medicare premiums, prescription costs and other living expenses. 

Margaret's story: access to assistance, granted

Here is Margaret’s story—a fictional, day-in-the-life account of one senior’s technology journey through a guided experience to find and access forms, and successfully enroll in assistance programs.

Margaret, an 82-year-old woman, lives alone. Like many seniors, she is strong-willed and self-sufficient, but a host of medical needs has made everyday life challenging. 

Margaret's health conditions demand regular medication and dietary requirements. However, living on a fixed income, she often finds herself torn between buying the necessary medications or putting food on the table. 

One day, a friend tells Margaret about an online program designed to help seniors access financial assistance. The guided experience is digital and easy to fill in, directing Margaret to the correct forms to submit for her specific needs. With the help of the user-friendly application, seniors like Margaret are able to be screened for numerous savings and assistance programs.

What once seemed like an insurmountable paperwork task is now surprisingly easy and intuitive. The online form features icons with accessible names, labels that describe the purpose of each link, headings that follow a hierarchical sequence and more. When Margaret's application reaches the hands of the state office, her data is reviewed and it’s evident that she qualifies for multiple assistance programs. 

Benefits of using an online application for assistance programs

Here are some of the benefits of the online application process for seniors and government agencies.

For seniors:

  • Vital assistance: Seniors can access programs that help pay for the cost of prescription medication, annual benefits for electric and gas bills and reimbursement to help offset hearing aid costs
  • Relief for caregivers: Caregivers can be assured that their family member or loved one is taken care of, alleviating financial and emotional burdens 

For government agencies:

  • Efficiency: The government can process many more applications, allowing agencies to reach the end user (senior citizen) much faster; internal employees in the agencies no longer feel the pressure of completing manual paperwork
  • Reduced burden: Assistance programs focus on prevention, which reduces the burden on care facilities 

The digital revolution for accessing senior assistance is here.

An online application that provides an accessible, guided experience can enable seniors to find forms that match their needs—and be screened for numerous health and savings benefits. Seniors can access potentially life-saving assistance through an accessible, easy-to-understand process. 

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Aseem Gupta
Aseem Gupta
Executive Client Partner, State & Local

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