A huge thank you to Care.com for including The Navigating Solo Network in their October 2024 article on solo aging! We’re thrilled to be recognized for the work we’re doing to support solo agers and provide resources for navigating life independently.

The Patriot Ledger, the daily newspaper of the South Shore of Massachusetts, ran a front page story on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 about Ailene Gerhardt’s Solo Aging series being offered at the Milton Council on Aging.

Award-winning journalist Diane Harris wrote an excellent article on planning for solo aging for the Retiring column of the Sunday, September 22, 2024 edition of the New York Times.

In it she interviewed and quoted solo aging thought leaders Sara Zeff Geber, Joy Loverde, Navigating Solo Network founder Ailene Gerhardt, and Rob Lyman. Each offered insights about planning for solo aging. She also highlighted The Navigating Solo website!

Contrary to popular belief, effective planning for solo aging extends far beyond legal paperwork and financial power of attorney arrangements. A solo ager is an older adult without the support of adult children or close family members, either by choice or circumstance, as defined by Ailene Gerhardt, a solo aging educator and founder of NavigatingSolo.com.

When Older Americans Month (May) was established in 1963, only 17 million Americans had celebrated their 65th birthday. Today over 60 million of us can claim the distinction of being 65 or better. However, over 22 million older adults live alone and close to 30% of them have no children or other family support as they age. This is a category best known as “Solo Agers.”

Starting this year (2024), on May 15, Solo Agers will have their very own day, right in the middle of Older American’s month. SAVvy Day (Solo Agers Visibility Day) will acknowledge their status, raise awareness about their numbers, and educate others in the ways they can support the Solo Agers among their family members and friends.

The TV show, “CONNECT: Addressing Loneliness in Massachusetts,” airs on local media channels across Massachusetts and explores various themes related to connected, healthy aging. The series is produced by Winchester Community Access & Media Inc.

In this episode, Ailene Gerhardt, MA, BCPA, independent board certified patient advocate and solo aging educator, shares tips for creatively navigating this season. This discussion was edited for length!

Solo Acts: A Theatrical Compilation on Solo Aging is a generative performance designed to catalyze dialogue, raise awareness, and affirm the experience of solo agers. Thanks to Limelight Live for including us on pages 16 & 17 of the Solo Acts Monograph!

The Impact of Third Places for Solo Agers: Community centers, coffee shops, bookstores — these are just a few of the places where solo agers can make connections with others and enhance their support systems

About one-quarter of adults over age 65 are Solo, and the percentage is even larger among the oldest age groups. Yet many Solos feel like freaks. They live in a world where it’s assumed that you, like other older adults, have children and grandchildren who will play an active role as you age.

A Google search for solo ager brings up 26 million links. Each month our blog pulls together curated resources for our clients and prospective clients. This month we focus on three important planning elements for solo agers – healthcare, housing, and financial – because there is one very critical question that needs answering:

Whether by choice or due to circumstances such as divorce or death of a partner, 27% of adults ages 60 and older live alone in the US. About half of women 65 and older do so. But those who fall within the solo aging category have yet another challenge that sets them apart. They have no children or close relatives upon whom they can depend to make critical legal, medical, or financial decisions should they be unable to do so themselves.