Connie Siskowski, president of the American Association of Caregiving Youth, said the economy and an aging population needing more complex care has led to more youth caregivers. As the population continues to get older, more adults are becoming solo agers during their golden years. "Solo agers have been shown to be as healthy and happy as other older adults and live just as long," Sara Zeff Geber, Ph.
D., an aging expert and author of "Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers," told Fox News Digital. Some of them, however, face unique challenges that can significantly impact their quality of life and well-being.
TO REDUCE DEMENTIA RISK, SENIORS SHOULD TAKE UP THIS OUTDOOR ACTIVITY, STUDY SUGGESTS Below, experts offer advice on how to be a successful solo ager. What is solo aging? "My definition of a solo ager is someone who does not have family nearby who are able and willing to intervene in a crisis and who will be available to provide support as the solo ager requires it," Geber said. More adults are becoming solo agers, but they may face unique challenges.
(iStock) Some people become solo agers by choice — through opting not to have children, for example — or by circumstance, such as the death of a spouse or a child moving away, the expert added. About 28% of people 65 and older — or 22 million older adults — live alone, according to 2023 data from the U.S.
Census Bureau. Among adults aged 50 or older, approximately 12% of them are considered "solo agers," accor.