(Reut Cohen)

"The only word for it is grim," said Robert Greenstein, president of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Local and state organizations are concerned about the staggering numbers, but it's unclear if they will be able to keep up with an aging population and increased poverty.

The Department of Aging is particularly focused on "low income, socially isolated" senior citizens who require more assistance, according to Laura Trejo, general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Aging. Read the rest here.

Reut R. Cohen is a graduate student at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, which has partnered with KCET-TV to produce this blog about policy in Los Angeles.