My friend Dr. Sara Zeff Geber coined the term “solo agers” after realizing so many of her childfree friends were caring for their aging parents.
The question loomed large: Who was going to care for them when they got older?
Geber’s term has expanded to include older adults who are geographically distant from their children or who choose not to rely on them for help as they age.
My husband and I know all too well the challenges of aging alone, as we had “adopted” our elderly neighbors in their last five years of life. With no children or nearby relatives, our neighbors had no one to lean on as their health worsened and activities of daily living became impossible.