When it comes to the short list of concerns for people who are aging, right at the top is the issue of where and how we live. The options are many, including retirement communities, shared housing, co-housing or moving to more manageable and affordable spaces. They all include downsizing. For people who are not partnered, the added challenges of living alone become more urgent as we age.

Research shows that isolation is one of the great dangers of getting older and being alone. The distance from being alone to feeling lonely can be shorter than we think, when events change our capacity for being independent. Accidents (falls are a major reason for sudden changes in capacity), diagnoses, and changes in relationships can quickly change someone's status from happily independent to isolated and dependent on others. Nobody wants to be Dependent or be the dreaded 'B' word: a "Burden."

You are probably already talking about this topic and I hope that you will be part of the monthly conversations I am leading at Greenwood Senior Center. Talking about it can help lead to the right life choices for each of us.