Should elderly people live alone?

Do you think that elderly people (80+) should live alone; particularly in large homes?

I think if they are able to take care of themselves they should be able to do whatever they want to do regardless of age.

CeCe wrote:I think if they are able to take care of themselves they should be able to do whatever they want to do regardless of age.

And of course I am biased, just being 14 years away from that "old age."

I think I would rather not be cared for after all these years of independence.

My grandmother is essentially alone, and she's managed to get into a little trouble, like the time she was reshingling her roof and fell off it and broke both her legs...but even when that happened, she didn't let it stop her from doing everything. She is more independent and more capable of looking after herself at 89 going on 90 next month, than most young people are ever going to be.

It depends on the elderly person in question, but don't tell me that the average 90 year old living alone without any regular assistance is logical because it isn't. I have an elderly grandmother who up until seven years ago owned a large house in the city, and had been living by herself for many, many decades. The older she got, it become more and more evident that living on her own was becoming unrealistic to the point of a hazard. Of course she didn't want to face that and it took a decade of my mother, my aunts, my cousins and I all arguing with her to get her to see that her in that house by herself was becoming senseless. Now she lives with an aunt of mine and she still tries to do for herself and while we're grateful that she still has a spirit of independence, it's also frustrating because her physical body doesn't match. She tries to cook and burns things up. Her reflexes aren't sharp. She's not always alert. She's also taken a couple of falls. And that's while living with someone who is there to assist and keep an eye on her. The thought her of still living by herself under these realities is just illogical. So no I don't think elderly people should live alone, if it's at all possible for them to not.

I don't think it's a good idea for elderly people to live by themselves. Last fall my 92 y/o grandma who lived w/us broke her hip from falling trying to make dinner and is now confined to a wheelcheer in a nursing home. By pure LUCK I just happened to be home to help her when she took her fall. Who knows what would have happened if I hadn't been there. She also lived in a big house once upon a time and when she was 80 was pressured by my mom & aunts to sell it so that she could move in and be taken care of. She lived with us for 10 yrs and even before she broke her hip it was becoming a struggle just for us to care for her in old age. . . there was NO WAY she could have handled living by herself. I think by a certain age older people just need to accept that handle living independently like they used to could.

CeCe wrote:I think if they are able to take care of themselves they should be able to do whatever they want to do regardless of age.

CeCe wrote:I think if they are able to take care of themselves they should be able to do whatever they want to do regardless of age.

but I can understand the "children" of elderly parents worrying. It's the circle of life. First the parents worry about the children falling in the playground and then the children worry about the parent falling in the shower.

alan smithee wrote:

CeCe wrote:I think if they are able to take care of themselves they should be able to do whatever they want to do regardless of age.

but I can understand the "children" of elderly parents worrying. It's the circle of life. First the parents worry about the children falling in the playground and then the children worry about the parent falling in the shower.

oh I understand concern & agree there's nothing wrong with that at all. But the children shouldn't have the right to force the issue if the parent(s) well able to care for themselves. Some people do fine all the way to their natural death after a very long life. Anyone can have a slip & fall. But assistance should only come when genuinely needed or wanted.

There probably isn't a "one size fits all" answer to this but I do think once a person hits a certain advanced age, their ability to be "as" independent impedes and they become much more vulnerable. I don't know if "80" is the inductee age into the world of elderly but I'd agree that a 90-something probably shouldn't be driving, or living by themselves in a 3 story house and going up and down stairs.

No matter what you do, someone will say it's wrong. My mom is 87, and lives alone, but gets plenty of help, with anything she wants. All she has to do is put her Meals On Wheels dinner in the microwave and that's it.

Her doctor does house calls, and I am available. An old person can fall anywhere and we have been through it. The house is a rancher, no stairs at all. Mom doesn't have to do any laundry, cooking, or trash, I do all that.

She doesn't have Alzheimer's, that is a plus. But she also doesn't want to leave a house she's lived in near 45 years either.