An increasing number of people in later life are living alone. Solo aging, or solo living as we described it in our book, Midlife, New Life, may be a matter of choice or perhaps due to a change in personal circumstances resulting from the loss of a partner or another life-changing event. In the United States, more than 28% of the over 65’s, that’s nearly 14 million people, are living alone by choice or circumstance. This percentage has doubled in the past 60 years.
Sara Zeff Geber, author of Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers, was the guest on a recent Global PIONeer 50/50 Online Conversation hosted by the Pass It On Network. We discussed the challenges of solo aging, including loneliness and isolation and concerns around who will take care of us and give us advice, especially when we are in a crisis or medical emergency. This is especially the case if you have no family safety net. Aging in the right place, the benefits of home sharing, and the importance of intergenerational connections and social networks were among the topics discussed.
At 2Young2Retire, we host regular conversation circles, mostly on Zoom. Some of our participants are living alone, and the conversation circles provide valuable connections helping to overcome some of the challenges of loneliness and isolation for solo agers. We create space for wonderful conversations, explore topics of shared interest, share wisdom and experience, and support each other on journeys of collaboration and transformation. For more information about these conversation circles, go to the Conscious Conversation Circles page.
