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Here's a new article from the WSJ about "aging alone." What do you pin that on? Late in life divorce? Lack of support from children/not having children? Widowed? How do you plan for aging alone or do you not anticipate it?
Here's a new article from the WSJ about "aging alone." What do you pin that on? Late in life divorce? Lack of support from children/not having children? Widowed? How do you plan for aging alone or do you not anticipate it?
It's a cultural thing. Somewhere around the last couple of generations, people in the U.S. stopped taking care of their elders and put them in nursing homes.
In many other parts of the world, elders even with their health problems live with family members and never see a nursing home, like they've done for thousands of years.
Boomers have always been a generation that prized independence, so it's no surprise that this continues into retirement years. Many people live alone, but do they feel lonely? I don't know that I'd agree with that. I certainly know plenty of retirees on this forum and among my family and friends who live alone and are quite happy that way.
Having said that, when we retired we made a point of moving to a community known for social activities. Most people who move here are also looking for friends, so it's easy to connect with other people if you wish to. We volunteer and play pickleball, hang out at the rec center, and spend a lot of time doing things with the neighbors. As a result we now have several close friends. A lot more than we had during our working years, that's for sure. This is why people move to places like The Villages. Or (like we did) to small towns like Williamsburg, where you aren't in a 55+ community but youhave close knit communities like the one I live in.
I also think that the financial challenges many retirees will soon face will result in "Golden Girls" type living arrangements. So that might cause a decrease in loneliness (although also an increase in irritation, for those who would rather be alone, LOL).
It's a cultural thing. Somewhere around the last couple of generations, people in the U.S. stopped taking care of their elders and put them in nursing homes.
In many other parts of the world, elders even with their health problems live with family members and never see a nursing home, like they've done for thousands of years.
I'm not sure that it's so much a "stopped taking care of elders" situation in and of itself, but rather changing life circumstances.
I've mentioned how my 57 year old aunt is the primary "point person" for my 83 year old grandmother, both of whom are widowed. Aunt's career job vaporized last year. Most of the jobs at the company's office here in small town Tennessee were sent to major metros.
My aunt and a few other people did keep jobs at this office, but at much lower pay. We had a major snowstorm over the weekend, and one side of the building's roof collapsed from the weight of the snow. Upper management sent an email to the impacted staff yesterday that those who can work from home are able to, but that the company doesn't know what they're going to do with the office itself yet.
My aunt is guessing the office may just be closed down. There is only a skeleton crew there as it is. Before her first job vaporized, my aunt was offered a transfer to the other offices. She didn't take it because she doesn't want to move and my grandmother, at 83, is probably past the point of moving. If this office closes down, my aunt is really between a rock and a hard place - do you stay here and go down to a $10/hr job, or try to find a career type job in another metro area?
I think this is due to people having fewer children and more mobility (children moving away from parents due to jobs or for other reasons), and also due to people living longer. Chances are that if you have a spouse or SO, one of you will be left alone, and maybe for a long (or even a VERY long time). All the women older than I in my immediate family survived their spouses for a minimum of ten years (my mother has been a widow for 30 years now), and I absolutely hope that won't happen to me!
As far as planning for the possibility of me becoming a widow who is alone, not much to do about that as I'm an introvert, except for planning our retirement in such a way that I (or he) should have enough savings, assets, and income to support the survivor. What else CAN you do, unless one plans to move into some kind of senior community (ALF or not) -- and that would be HELL for me, I think!
If I outlive my husband I fully expect to "age" alone. My son is off working and doesn't have the time to check on me which is fine. Raised him that way.
Husband will have more involvement by his kids, he has four. He would move back near them so he wouldn't be alone. If I croak first I would die easy knowing he would be cared for. Right now they are far away and out of sight out of mind. But if he was there and alone, I think they would step up.
Many of us do indeed subscribe to the Wall Street Journal, even in retirement. I do. I've had a subscription to the WSJ since I was 22 years old - 40 years.
If the article contents is something you are interested in, your public library will usually have a subscription.
We had a major snowstorm over the weekend, and one side of the building's roof collapsed from the weight of the snow.
slight digression here - sorry - does insurance typically cover roof collapse from snow weight?
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