Living alone with cognitive impairment is common because both living alone and having cognitive impairment is likely as we get old. Living alone is becoming extremely common among all age groups in the US. Householders living alone have almost doubled since the 1970s, while households with couples with children more than halved.
Living alone is extremely common in old age with over 50% of households of people aged 75 and over being occupied by only one person in the US.
Trends behind the large portion of older adults living alone include: longevity, childlessness, divorce, women's emancipation, mobility of families, and desire for privacy and independence.
Estimates indicate that one third of people with dementia live alone in Western countries. Epidemiologist from our group estimated that in the United States 4.3 million people live alone with cognitive impairment [Read More]