Today’s news stories speak volumes. Seniors struggle to make ends meet . . . more elderly find they can’t afford not to work . . . baby boomers are forced to support parents. A growing number of seniors are struggling financially. Forced to choose between meals and medications, homeowners insurance and healthcare, or cable and paid care—in Ventura County alone, a whopping 39 percent of seniors don’t have enough retirement income to adequately meet their basic needs, according to the Elder Index. I think most of us know that the difference between the poverty level and the true cost of basic needs in California is dramatic. Federal poverty guidelines for a single senior renter in Ventura County is approximately $12,000 in gross annual income, and for a senior couple with a mortgage, that level is under $16,000. But according to the Elder Index, established in 2010 by the UCLA Center for Community Economic Development, the real cost of living for a single senior renter is $24,000...