EDITOR’S NOTE: This is Part 1 of a 2-part series in this installment of our Gray Matters Solutions Journalism project. Part 2 will be published on Tuesday.
No one grows older longing for the day they will leave their home and move into some sort of assisted living center.
In fact, 90 percent of senior citizens want to stay in their own homes, often referred to as “aging in place,” according to a survey by the American Association of Retired Persons.
These seasoned citizens have lived under their own rules their entire adult lives and are reluctant, if not diametrically opposed, to give up even a modicum of freedom.
AARP’s survey found most pre-retirees expect they will be able to live independently. Just 14 percent expect they will need day-to-day assistance or ongoing health care at any time during their retirement years.
The problem for these older folks is remaining in their homes safely, especially if a spouse has died and the survivor now lives on their own.
LIVING ALONE: Seniors who live alone often experience social isolation and poor nutrition, according to experts. Those factors can contribute to cognitive decline, health problems, depression and a lower quality of life.
According to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, both social isolation and loneliness are associated with a higher risk of death in adults 52 and older.
“People who live alone or lack social contacts may be at increased risk of death if acute symptoms develop, because there is less of a network of confidantes to prompt medical attention.”
Efforts to reduce isolation are the key to addressing the issue of mortality, said the study’s authors.
Dr. John Cacioppo, a neuroscientist and psychologist at the University of Chicago, has studied social isolation for 30 years. He believes human beings evolved to be a social species — that it’s hard-wired into our brains. When that need is not met, it can have physical and neurological effects.
But the dangers associated with remaining at home, often alone, don’t end there.
HOME SAFETY: Simple safety in the home is also an issue for many. Falls are the leading cause of injury-related visits to the hospital emergency room for seniors. Falls are also the primary cause of accidental deaths in people over 65, according to the MetLife Mature Marketing Institute.
AARP has identified housing features seniors find especially important as they grow older and experience reduced eyesight, poorer balance, reduced flexibility, etc. These include safety features like non-slip floor surfaces, bathroom aides like grab bars, personal alert systems, a home entrance without steps, wider doorways with lever-handled door knobs, higher electrical outlets and lower electrical switches.
In addition, seniors run a greater risk of becoming crime victims, with crimes against elderly identified in the 2018 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week Resource Guide as an important subset of crime.
“People age 65 and older experience the same crimes as the rest of the population, including financial victimization, neglect, and physical, sexual, or emotional abuse,” the report said. “However, older adults may be less likely to recover from their victimization, and are often sought out because of their age and decreased likelihood of reporting.”
These crimes are also expensive. Injuries to older adults from violent crime account for more than $5.3 billion annually in direct medical care.
The same report estimates that during 2015, only 45 percent of violent crime against persons age 65 and older were even reported to police.
“Because of their physical limitations, older adults are often considered easy prey,” the report said. “They are less likely than younger victims to resist criminal attacks.
“Their reluctance may be based on awareness they lack the strength to repel a younger aggressor and the understanding that they are physically frail and at risk of injuries that could permanently disable them.”
(Tomorrow: How advances in technology and home security may be the answer to many of the problems seniors living alone face today.)
