Statistics on divorce, separation and natural attrition all point to the same reality. Many adults will spend the last third of their lives alone. The number of single seniors is on the rise, mainly because people are living longer. Many seniors who lose a spouse face living alone. Many of these same people prefer to stay in familiar surroundings rather than relocating to be with family. People tend to be quite territorial when it comes to their space. Caregivers don’t really see the sense in this but it happens all the time. People are often more fixated on living where they feel at home than they are about being near family. I‘ve always thought that was rather sad. The difference is that my generation moved around so much that we didn’t form attachments to places. I can understand that it is different for people who have spent a lifetime in one place. However, living alone can create a number of dilemmas for older people. Fortunately we are already seeing an increase in home companion programs to give help with basic needs at home. The Associate Press Herald (Rock Hill, S. C. July20, 2001) wrote an article on seniors living alone and the article focused on some of the pros and cons.
One hundred years ago it took a great deal of labor to maintain a household. It really took two people. These days, with the changes in technology, living alone has become a viable option. However, it isn’t always easy. Handling finances, cooking meals, driving and coping with illnesses are often met with frustration and worry. After 40-50 years of being a couple just learning how to be an independent single can be overwhelming. It is difficult just managing activities of daily living without throwing self actualization into the mix. Where do you fit socially, what do you do for company, not having someone who cares whether you come home safely or not can be quite a wake-up call? Loneliness and boredom can be pervasive problems.
With time most people adjust successfully to living alone, but it isn’t easy and it requires a certain amount of dedication. Some people throw themselves into once discarded hobbies or find something new to fill their time. Others buy a pet to fill the emptiness in their lives. Others remarry or make an effort to find likeminded friends, but this may difficult if you are a lifelong introvert.
If you are on your own for the first time or once again, it doesn’t mean that you have to be lonely. Many people enjoy being independent and self reliant. Solitude is great in small doses, but no one likes to think about living alone forever. There are times when most of us have said that say we would kill for a few moments of peace and quiet, but peace and loneliness are two different parts of the equation. Once again we start searching for a handbook to tell us how to live alone. Betty Jane Wylie’s book “Living Single Successfully”, tries to put everything in perspective. Some people are able to settle into a routine and enjoy this chance to reinvent themselves, but all agree that you can’t just sit at home. You have to get out and find interests, and other people. Singleness does not have to be a curse. It can be a time for you to gain confidence in your own strength and abilities. Singleness could be a liberating experience if you will let it. For the first time in your life you can fill your later years with your own brand of responsibility and creativity. The key to successful independent living is: keeping active mentally and physically, helping others in the community and taking advantage of community services.
There’s no place like home so it’s very understandable for the elderly to choose to stay in the comfort of their own homes—even though they would live all by themselves. It’s non-sense to force them to move into an assisted living wherein they would not be happy and satisfied. With the availability of several options to secure their safety while living alone makes this decision a lot more feasible to them nowadays. One thing I’ve noted aside from getting the service of a caregiver is by taking advantage of technological devices that are designed to help secure their safety. Some of them are cited here: http://www.just5.com/story.php?story=310720112059561916173394&page=blog.
Posted by: Sakurayuki08 | August 01, 2011 at 07:19 PM