Solo but not alone: An examination of social and help networks among community-dwelling older adults without close family

Solo but not alone: An examination of social and help networks among community-dwelling older adults without close family
Journal of Applied Gerontology (J Appl Gerontol); by Jane Lowers, Duzhi Zhao, Evan Bollens-Lund, Dio Kavalieratos, Katherine A Ornstein; 11/31/2022
... Nearly one in four adults is at high risk for aging without a spouse or children ... Previous descriptions of adults aging solo have focused on social isolation (Chamberlain et al., 2018; Roofeh et al., 2020), yet diverse, non-kin social networks can provide robust emotional and instrumental (task-oriented) support and such networks are becoming more common over time (Suanet & Antonucci, 2016; Verdery et al., 2019), although the type and intensity of support may vary by the type of relationship (e.g., kin vs non-kin) and factors including frequency of interaction (Wellman 1990). ... Therefore, as a first step, we sought to define the population of adults aging solo and compare its social networks and sources of help to adults with close family nearby. 
Editor's note: Though this article is from 2022, we are posting it due to our post on 11/13/24, Older Americans living alone often rely on neighbors or others willing to help, and our readers' frequent "most read" articles about seniors' challenges with isolation, depression, and caregiving challenges.