Inflation may be down for the first time in years, but try telling that to seniors and retirees.

US consumer prices fell in June for the first time since the early months of the pandemic. Consumer prices dipped 0.1% on a monthly basis, bringing the annual rate of inflation to 3% from 3.3% in May, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest Consumer Price Index report.

However, prices for items such as shelter, electricity, hospital, and outpatient medical services — major expenses for millions of seniors — continue to outpace the overall rate of inflation.

“Prices are coming down, but the things that seniors are spending on are going up,” Mary Johnson, a Social Security and Medicare policy analyst, told Yahoo Finance. “This is clearly causing distress.”

Read more: Consumers catch a break as inflation continues to cool

Hot summer, soaring electric bills combine with health concerns

This summer’s record-breaking heat means record-breaking electrical bills for many people, Johnson said, which can be a heavy burden for retirees and others on fixed incomes.

Electricity costs have risen 4.4% from a year ago. Meanwhile, more than 138 million Americans were under heat warnings this week, and reports of heat-related deaths are rising. In Santa Clara County, Calif., there were 14 deaths being investigated as heat-related — eight of the victims were over 65.

“The amount of electricity is going to be a huge change in seniors’ bills because they’re just not used to using that much electricity just to stay cool and to stay alive,” she said.

For seniors with health issues, medical care costs are on the rise as well. Inpatient care rose 4.5% from a year ago, while outpatient care surged 7%.

Home healthcare services have climbed 11.4% — roughly three times faster than overall inflation.

“People just don't have enough saved for assisted living, so that in-home care is something that people have to turn to when they've had a hospitalization, and they need care to get back up to speed,” Johnson said. Home health nurses are often under contracts where they come in for a specified amount of time during the day, and many have a minimum of four hours.

“Those can be some very pricey costs,” she added.

Not all food costs are dropping

Older and disabled adults may be having more difficulty getting enough protein in their diets, with the price of meats and eggs continuing to outpace overall food inflation.

While food prices rose by just 2.2%, many of the most frequently consumed proteins that older adults rely on rose much more. Pork chops, for example, were up 7.4% from last year, and the price tag on a dozen eggs popped up 10.2%.