The Harsh Realities of Growing Old Alone & How to Overcome Them

Get Your Affairs in Order

Planning for your future includes possible futures that you may not be ready to think about, but you need to. Death and disability isn’t fun, but it’s even worse if you haven’t planned ahead.

Planning for these situations early on can give you peace of mind. You can make sure the right people are there to help you when you need it and that they know your wishes.

Start with a living will. You might be familiar with a Last Will and Testament, but not a living will. A living will is a statement of your wishes should you end up in the hospital on life support. You can learn more about last wills and living wills at thebalance.com. 

In your living will, you will designate a few people that will help make decisions for your treatment and care.

• Designate a healthcare proxy in case something happens to you and you can’t make medical decisions beyond just life support.

• A financial advisor and an accountant now will ensure your finances stay in order should you be unable to manage them yourself. 

• In the event that you can’t make decisions, designate a power of attorney.

Stay Active and Be Healthy

If you take care of yourself now, you’ll have fewer issues when you’re older and less chance of decreased mobility as you age. Focus on your health overall and follow your doctor’s recommendations.

• Try to reduce or eliminate saturated fats, excess salt, excess sugar, and junk foods from your diet.

• Cut back on your vices — alcohol, smoking, and drinking too many sodas. 

• Swap out milk or creamer for soy milk and cut out the sugar or replace it with a healthier alternative like honey or pure maple syrup. 

• Get exercise. Most of us spend our days in front of the TV, computer, or our smart devices. The less active we are, the harder it gets to be active later. Commit to an exercise routine that’s doable for you and stick to it.

Spend Time in Nature

It’s been proven that fresh air and time outdoors away from the hustle and bustle of city life is good for us. For those suffering from isolation, depression, and anxiety, spending time outdoors can make a huge improvement in your overall mood and it has a positive effect on your brain.

Our bodies are more relaxed in a natural environment — and relaxation leads to less stress. 

Studies have proven that time spent in nature can help:

• Increase memory attention

• Reduce blood glucose levels in patients with diabetes

• Reduce blood pressure

• Boost immune function in patients with weakened immune systems

• Reduce cortisol levels (a stress hormone) 

If you are having a hard time finding a reason to go outdoors, try out some of these activities:

• Grab a pole and go fishing.

• Take a nature hike at your local parks.

• Plant flowers or a vegetable garden.

• Plant an indoor herb garden or decorative plants to bring a little bit of nature indoors.

• Take the dog for a walk or to the dog park.

• Go for a ride on a bike.

• Sign up for an outdoor fitness class like yoga.

• Take a boat ride.

• Volunteer for community service.

• Spend the weekend camping.

• Take a kayak out on the river.

• Enjoy arts and crafts outside.

• Work on a computer? Take your laptop outside while you work.

• Play tennis, volleyball, or soccer.

• Plan a trip to your local zoo.

• Spend a day at the beach.

• Go apple or berry picking at a local orchard.

• Play a few rounds of mini-golf.

• Go ice skating or rollerblading.

• Attend an outdoor movie at a drive-in or movie night in the park.

• Go for a swim.

• Break out the camera and go photograph nature.

Find Your Tribe and Create a Social Circle

You might have a hard time making friends and prefer to spend the majority of your time alone. It’s easy to fall into this trap and just give up on socializing because past experiences have been painful or it’s just too hard to connect to people. 

Isolation is a leading factor in depression and depression can cause your overall health to decline swiftly. Your physical health will suffer if you lack the motivation to get up and go meet new people and have new experiences.

Living in isolation is bad for your health and leaves you fewer options for support as you get older and start needing help. Creating a social circle can give you access to rides for doctor visits and errands, someone to help you prepare meals and keep up with chores temporarily if you get sick, and friends to lean on for emotional support.

Find People With Shared Interests

If you have a hard time meeting new people and making friends, try some of the following suggestions to meet like-minded individuals with common interests.

• If you are religious, go to church.

• Pick up a hobby and find a group for it.

• Yarn Crafts (Crocheting and Knitting)

• Painting

• Woodworking

• Jewelry Making

• Writing

• Archery

• Bowling

• Photography

• Book Clubs

• Join a local support group for the elderly.

Consider Relocating

Where you live will play a huge factor as you age. If your house isn’t set up to accommodate you as you age, consider making adjustments or looking for a new place to live. Little things like stairs might not seem like an issue now, but if mobility becomes a problem, they could be hard to deal with later. 

The right place for you to grow old is about more than just household amenities. The city and community you live in are just as important as your house. 

Make sure you are close to clinics, hospitals, your primary care doctors, grocery stores, social groups, and support groups. If you become unable to drive, being closer to the places you need to frequent often will give you more access to transportation options.