My sister did the same, trying to raise a child (after my POS bil left her) while putting herself through school to support herself and my one nephew.
She is now an RN. Yes, she had to “borrow” money from me to get a bit of oil for heat and hot water, but she made it through.
Where are these elders family to help out? I sure as heck didn’t have enough money to just give, but I did.
Where are their families, or neighbors to help them out?
Probably due to the breakup of extended families we’ve seen in the decades since Social Security passed. Nowadays, more and more people just take it for granted that the government will take care of their relatives, and they don’t need to take any responsibility.
Quotation marks around the word "borrow", duly noted. I've "loaned" money like that.