Alina Garcia sits next to her husband at a small table in a Pembroke Pines senior center. As they work on their tax forms, Garcia fumes. She has lived in South Florida for over 56 years and says she is furious preparing her taxes as she watches the stock market plunge, hears about potential cuts to Medicaid, learns of disruptive changes to Social Security and sees her cost of living rising.

“I’m so angry my blood pressure keeps rising,” she said.

From community centers in Pembroke Pines to neighborhood coffee shops in Hollywood to the lively pickleball courts of Delray Beach, Florida seniors are voicing strong emotions as they navigate the economic turbulence.

As is happening for older adults around the country, the cuts to federal agencies, the trade wars, and the volatility of the stock market fuel deep worries and fear over how they will manage through retirement when their nest eggs are dwindling.

“Financial uncertainty is definitely a stressor for seniors,” said Francisco Isaza, chief operations officer with 211 Broward, a 24-hour comprehensive helpline. Callers to 211 Broward report financial pressure is affecting their mental health, particularly when coupled with other emotions they’re experiencing, like loneliness or grief over the loss of a spouse or friend. “It can become overwhelming.”

For some seniors, the increasing prices of such essentials as groceries, gas, and medicine are causing anxiety. With new U.S. tariffs, prices on thousands of grocery items are expected to rise further.

Davie resident Eleanor Refford, 75, reaches out to touch her husband’s slightly shaking hand and says, “I am getting more worried every day that we won’t be able to pay our bills and meet our basic needs. I am having nightmares about it.”

Her husband, Theodore, 62, has Parkinson’s disease and receives disability benefits through the federal government.

“I get a fixed amount every month, and when I go to the store, everything costs more,” he said. “There’s a lot to worry about. I just don’t know what’s going to happen.”

In South Broward County, Gladys Vasquez of Miramar clutches a plastic grocery bag and says the contents continue to cost more, listing foods like cheese and yogurt.

“I think it’s going to get worse,” the 68-year-old said.

“My anxiety level is not good,” said Colombian-born Vazquez, who lives on Social Security after working 50 years in the U.S. as a computer technician.  “All this worrying is not good. I might go back to Colombia. It’s cheaper there.”

Miles away in South Broward,  David Green, 75, sits in a coffee shop sipping the same cup of coffee most of the morning. Green says he’s starting to get depressed. “I can’t live the way I want to anymore,” he said. “I can’t eat out because the cost of breakfast without a tip is $20.”

Many Florida seniors rely on savings invested in stocks and bonds to supplement their Social Security benefits. Others have pensions, which are invested in financial markets for growth.

As younger generations experience losses in their 401Ks and investments and adopt a wait-and-see attitude, it’s more difficult for Florida seniors to stomach the swings rocking Wall Street. They have less time to wait for a recovery.

Green watches CNBC to see how the daily stock market changes will impact his retirement fund and says he can’t afford a long-term investment approach. In the last month, he said, his retirement fund lost nearly 10% of its value. “I’m scared. I’m really scared.”

While the market recovered slightly on Wednesday, Thursday remained more volatile, and the U.S. remains in an economic slowdown — at least for now.

“People who are out of the workforce and relying on their investment savings are understandably concerned,” said Jeff Johnson, state director of AARP Florida. “It reminds people how much they rely on Social Security benefits as a floor for their income.”

In addition, deep staff reductions and new policies at the Social Security Administration are making beneficiaries question whether the tumult will cause any disruption to their monthly payments. AARP Florida issued an alert this week noting that it is hearing from older Floridians who are “deeply concerned about upcoming operational changes at the Social Security Administration.”

Johnson said seniors’ anxiety about the economy may depend on their political leanings, financial picture, housing situation, and whether they are newly retired. “My guess is people in their 80s have been through the ups and downs before,” he said.

Recent studies, including one at Ball State University, have found a correlation between stock market downturns and deteriorating mental health among retirees, including insomnia and depression.

Fort Lauderdale resident Jerry Covington, 83, says he’s not depressed, just scared for his financial future. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Covington said he is halfway through repairs on his roof, and supply prices are rising, making the repairs more costly. His 2009 car needs repairs or a replacement, and he is worried about affording it now that tariffs threaten to make vehicles more expensive.

“Sky-high expenses aren’t keeping up with my benefits,” he said. “The market is tanking and we don’t know the status of Social Security. It’s scary.”

Not all South Florida seniors are fearful, though.

Many Trump supporters retired in South Florida back the President and his actions and see economic concerns as temporary.

“I understand some people are feeling worried, but I am not,” said Marilyn Wilde, 84. “I have hope and believe things are going to turn around.”

Casually leaning back in a chair, surrounded by other retirees in Plantation, Marc Kaye, 78, expresses the same emotions as Wilde.

“I think things will straighten out,” Kaye said. “We may have to cut back a bit for now but we have to be patient. I am not going to panic.”

Community centers like the Southwest Focal Point Senior Center in Pembroke Pines offer meditation classes to help seniors manage their stress levels. In Broward, the 2-1-1Touchline program is a free service that provides daily “safety and well-being check-ins” for older adults. Palm Beach County also has a 211 helpline.

South Florida Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at cgoodman@sunsentinel.com.