Others make tough choices to pay for their prescriptions. To cover her asthma medications after her husband's employer reduced his hours from 40 to 35, Evelyn Arraya's family has slashed expenditures on food, entertainment, and clothing. "We had to cut a lot of things down, but at least I could breathe and still live a little bit longer," says Arraya, 51, of Deltona, Florida.

Making It Home
But a greater distinction between the Hispanic and general population arises concerning housing. The epidemic of mortgage foreclosures sparks considerable concern because, compared to the general population, Hispanics have a great share of their assets tied up in their homes. While 85 percent of both the Hispanic and general population own homes, only 46 percent of Hispanics invest in stocks and bonds, compared to 63 percent of all older Americans in general.

Forty-one percent of Hispanic respondents, compared to 26 percent of older Americans in general, are having difficulty paying their mortgage or rent. More than four in 10 Hispanics fear losing their homes—compared to only a quarter of the general population—and nearly eight in 10 Hispanics—compared to seven in 10 of the general population—are concerned about the safety of neighborhoods with many foreclosed homes. Nearly 60 percent of older Hispanics believe the foreclosure crisis impacts the safety of their own neighborhoods, a feeling shared by less than 40 percent of all respondents. Two out of three Hispanics age 45 and older, compared to only one out of three of all older Americans, say the foreclosure crisis has affected the value of their own homes.

Work and Retirement
Other crunch-time financial decisions will also have long-term implications. More than a quarter of Hispanics say the economic slowdown has forced them to postpone retirement plans—compared to only 16 percent of all respondents—and among all older Americans, about one in five have increased the number of hours they work. About 10 percent have taken on a second job. One third of Hispanics, as well as the general population, have stopped contributing to their 401(k)s, IRAs, or other retirement accounts, and about a quarter of Hispanics and the general population are raiding their accounts prematurely and withdrawing funds at a penalty.

Meeting the Challenge
To help face these challenges, during the previous year, 18 percent of Hispanic respondents helped their parents meet expenses and 5 percent had parents move in with them. More than 40 percent have helped a child pay bills or expenses, and 14 percent have had children move back home for financial reasons.

"I've been helping out my kids quite a bit," says Antonia Burger, 71, of Toledo, Ohio. "One son filed bankruptcy. One son who was in Hollywood moved back here. Another set of kids can't even afford a home; they're renting, and they can't save enough for a down payment."

As is typical for Hispanic families and their communities, in the face of these hard times, they're pulling together for support.

Rallying Support AARP's poll of people 45+ found that Hispanics are reaching out to family and friends for support.  Hispanics General Public In the Last 12 Months 44% 39% helped a child pay bills or expenses. 18% 8% helped a parent pay bills or expenses. 17% 12% borrowed money to pay everyday living expenses. 14% 9% had a child move in with you for financial reasons. 10% 10% sought assistance from family, friends, charities, or churches. 5% 2% had a parent move in with you for financial reasons. 3% 2% moved in with a child or parent for financial reasons.