Kate Cotnoir

Montana's population is among the oldest in the country. While inflation levels near a 40-year high, cost of living adjustments for things like Social Security and food assistance aren't keeping pace, leaving some older adults struggling.

For the 165,000 Montanans who are on Medicare, the next week and a half is crunch time. December 7 is the deadline for people age 65 and over to pick a…