“Elder orphans”, or elderly individuals without a spouse, partner or children, are seeking each other out for support and advice as they age. 10% of US women reach their 50s without children, and one third of middle-aged adults are reaching retirement without marrying, divorcing or being widowed. Websites such as SeniorCare.com are targeting these lone adults and allowing them to discuss housing, transportation, loneliness and healthcare concerns. Many “elder orphans” are electing to live together communally to provide mutual support and friendship. Maria Torroella Carney, chief of geriatric and palliative medicine at Long Island Jewish Medical Center and North Shore University Hospital in New York, advises those looking to find support in their twilight years to evaluate their needs for support; to check out resources such as senior centers and delivery options; to identify someone to act as a healthcare proxy or to hold durable power of attorney for when healthcare decisions need to be made; and to reach out to distant or estranged family members or friends for support.
“Elder orphans”, or elderly individuals without a spouse, partner or children, are seeking each other out for support and advice as they age. 20% of US women reach their 50s without children, and one third of middle-aged adults are reaching retirement without marrying, divorcing or being widowed. Websites such as SeniorCare.com are targeting these lone adults and allowing them to discuss housing, transportation, loneliness and healthcare concerns. Many “elder orphans” are electing to live together communally to provide mutual support and friendship. Maria Torroella Carney, chief of geriatric and palliative medicine at Long Island Jewish Medical Center and North Shore University Hospital in New York, advises those looking to find support in their twilight years to evaluate their needs for support; to check out resources such as senior centers and delivery options; to identify someone to act as a healthcare proxy or to hold durable power of attorney for when healthcare decisions need to be made; and to reach out to distant or estranged family members or friends for support.