What Happens When You Age Alone?

Aging alone, the act of growing older without any friends or family members living with you or in close proximity to you, is a reality for many senior citizens, whether they want this to happen or not. A new study has recently shown what some of the effects of aging alone are on seniors, and not all of them were what might have been expected. The situation for this population is actually a lot worse than was thought, but unfortunately, there are many people that slip through the cracks here because they do age alone.

 

The survey focused on a group of about 500 elderly individuals who self identified as “elder orphans.” These are people who do not live with family members and have no living relatives nearby that assist them in their day to day lives. The goal of the study was to look at what these people’s lives look like in an attempt to gauge what the current needs of the senior care industry are, and what they are likely to be in the very near future.

 

When you age alone, there are likely many needs that go unmet. Companionship can help fix this.

 

Overall, the study showed that this group of individuals has needs beyond what those who have someone living with them do. They need more help with day to day tasks, have more difficulty getting to appointments, and have fewer social relationships. This should be a warning to people in the senior care business (like us), and it should be a motivator for everyone to act. There are a lot of people out there that need help. They might be people you know, neighbors, or members of your church. They might be complete strangers. Regardless, these are people who would really benefit from having someone in their lives that cares about them. When someone ages alone, more than likely they have some sort of need that is not being completely met, and as a result of that they are not as happy, healthy, or comfortable as they should be.

 

If you know someone who is aging alone, be a friend to them. Check in on them and keep an eye on their needs. Some of these things you can likely do yourself. Companionship is one of those things that anyone can provide, even if you don’t know a thing about senior care. Just being there and being a friend can do wonders for someone’s mental health and happiness. If you do notice that something more is needed, you will likely be one of the first people to know. Ask them about what their wishes are for care, and what you can do to help them. A lot of services, like Paradise In-Home Care here in the San Francisco Bay Area, provide free, no obligation, consultations for precisely this reason.

 

There are a lot of people out there than need care and attention. Not all of them require a caregiver, but some do. If you have questions or you think that we can be of help to you or someone you know, please reach out to us today.

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