November 16, 2016
An invisible population Learn & Play
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Give thanks for the slow cooker
Community Voices
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By Odie Smith
Photo courtesy Bigstock
Elder orphans an increasingly growing segment of our society By Nicholas Elmes The holidays are just around the corner, and for many people that means making plans to visit loved ones, trips to grandma’s house, and maybe even making a donation to help children who have been orphaned. But a growing population of people in the St. Louis area have no loved ones to spend the holidays with, no children or grandchildren to come visit for a holiday meal, and are just as alone as the orphans we love to love to buy Christmas presents for. This segment of the population are known as elder orphans, seniors who have no children or spouses who are living the golden years of their lives alone. In St. Louis 41 percent of seniors are living alone according to the U.S. Census. “These people have no one to help provide personal care or support or to help them stay social or active,” said Carol Marak, the editor of SeniorCare.com who is working to raise awareness of this growing segment of the population. She said the number of elder orphans across the country grows every year as more and more Baby Boomers age into their senior years. “So many Boomers are divorced, and the Boomers are the largest child-free segment of the population.” She said facing your senior years alone presents a variety of issues. “The primary issue is social isolation,” she said. “So many of us live alone and in
the suburbs. When we lose our driving capabilities then we have the tendency to stay at home alone. That can develop into depression which can lead to all sorts of issues.” “Affordable housing is another concern,” she added. “Housing is very expensive and if you live alone you are having to pay all the same types of bills as two married people would.” She said that is particularly hard on elderly people if they are living primarily on Social Security benefits. Census data shows that the median household income for St. Louis seniors is only $25,029 a year, with the average Social Security income in the area coming in at $13,964 annually. Marak said some seniors face this issue by looking at other ways of sharing living costs. “Some look at opening their homes to renters, or shared housing,” she said. “Another option is co-housing where you buy a home together. Some cities are working to create more affordable housing for seniors.” But Marak said the most important issue for elder orphans is raising awareness that this segment of the population is out there. “Many people are not aware that we exist,” she said. “If you go to church with your family, start noticing who is attending and start engaging with that person. Just start becoming aware of the elderly
people in the community. They probably have no one to count on for help if they are living alone.” Marak said there are some organizations like the Agency for Aging which helps provide services for senior orphans, but noted that she is using social media to help senior orphans connect with each other. “I have a Facebook group of elder orphans (https://www.facebook.com/ groups/elderorphans/),” she said. “We give each other a lot of support and answers. I am amazed at how useful it has See INVISIBLE page 2
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