Thousands of them are eligible for food assistance, many are sole providers of care for grandchildren and more than 17,000 of them have Alzheimer's disease.

They're Brevard's residents 60 or older, numbering 177,334 strong in the state's 10th-largest county.

And in a recent snapshot of Space Coast seniors from the Brevard County Commission on Aging and the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, several areas of concern stand out for agencies working with seniors and vulnerable members of the community.

A quick look at the findings reveals that in a county of 577,550 people, those older than 60 represent: 

• 25 percent of the households compared to the state’s average at 20 percent.
• 30.7 percent of our population today.

Brevard is also home to:

• an estimated 17,600 cases of Alzheimer's disease in people older than 65.
• 14,780 seniors living below the poverty guideline.
• 32,899 medically underserved people older than 65.

Health and other quality of life issues in particular jumped out for Rob Rains, United Way of Brevard president.