Solo aging and retirement expert, Nexus Fellow Dr. Sara Zeff Geber, has been drawing attention to the challenges of aging alone, and urging aging services to address these challenges, for over a decade. With the recent demand for Dr. Geber’s expertise on the subject, it sounds like organizations across the United States are finally starting to listen.

And they should. The statistics show it’s past time to start thinking about solo agers. According to a Forbes.com piece authored by Geber, “Twelve million adults over age 65 live alone. That is 27% of the population–the highest rate in the world. The majority are women. By age 75, the rate of women living alone rises to 44%. With the mobility in today’s society, many family members live far away. Among boomer women, 19.4% never gave birth, so there are no children or grandchildren at all to pick up the mantle of caregiving. These numbers are very different from those of preceding generations.”

If we don’t address the needs of this sizable population, we’re in trouble. Who’s going to help them coordinate care? How will they combat the risk of loneliness and find community and purpose?

Dr. Geber wrote, “Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers: A Retirement and Aging Roadmap for Single and Childless Adults,” which was selected as a “best book on aging well” by the Wall Street Journal in 2018.

If you want to learn more from Geber, the pioneer who coined the term “solo ager,” check out her upcoming speaking events below:

Upcoming Events

Meeting the Challenges of Solo Aging with Sara Zeff Geber – Acacia Creek

April 13, 2023 – Union City, CA

Learn the best tips and tricks on solo aging at the Acacia Creek Retirement Community

• Planning for a life with meaning and fun after 65
• Building community later in life
• How to meet the challenges of aging

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It’s Past Time to Think About Solo Agers – 2023 LeadingAge Leadership Summit

April 18, 2023 – Washington, D.C.

Hear from the expert who wrote the seminal book on solo aging, along with a panel of diverse providers and older consumers on how your organization can empower solo adults aging alone to make decisions about their future and thrive while aging solo.

The Panel

• Sara Zeff Geber, Consultant & Educator
• Stephanie Chong, Executive Director, Northwest Neighbors Village
• Karen Zuckerstein, Member, Northwest Neighbors Village
• Kera Wooten, Executive Director, Westminster at Lake Ridge
• Jacqueline Evans, Resident, Westminster at Lake Ridge

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Solo Agers Are Knocking at Your Door – Leading Age California Annual Conference

May 2, 2023 – Monterey, CA

Solo Agers, adults over 60 who have no children or are aging without family support, will need a community around them as they age. As Solo Agers begin to recognize this need, life plan Communities and other continuing care residential options will look appealing, but will those communities be ready to serve them in a way that supports who they are and who they have been?

Related:

• Solo Aging and Senior Living’s Urgent Call to Action!
• From Aging in Place to Aging in Community: A 2020 Virtual Talk by Dr. Sara Zeff Geber
• Cohousing for Seniors – An Instructional Model for the Senior Living Industry?

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