Who will care for the childless in old age?

Who will care for you in old age when you are childless?  This is a question becoming more common amongst the elderly population as rates of childlessness rise among the baby boomer generation.

It is estimated that 25 per cent of baby boomers remain childless throughout their lives and a growing number of seniors are outliving their adult children due to mid-life health issues brought on by childhood obesity.

Whether it’s by choice or circumstances beyond your control, entering old age without the support children can offer may leave some seniors wondering who will be there to help them when the need arises.

Although all seniors need to make plans for an increasingly longer old age, those without a younger generation to lean on may need to take further steps to ensure their proper care in old age.  Planning ahead becomes a necessity for those who may not always have someone to call upon in an emergency.  Buying long-term life insurance,  enrolling in automatic bill paying in case of an emergency, preparing legal documents including a health care proxy and power of attorney and living where public transportation is available are just a few steps to help aging without kids be more successful and stress-free.   Keeping current on modern technology and all it has to offer to assist in aging-in-place is also a good skill to master before older age.  Being able to order groceries or an Uber driver online may mean the difference between remaining independent and being forced into assisted living.

It is also important to foster a support system within your own community and reach out to local organizations for help when needed.  Communal living arrangements, or co-housing, is becoming a more popular arrangement for older adults who are not ready for retirement homes or long term care but want to have a group of friends with similar interests to become a surrogate family to count on when you need it.

We may have passed the time when we had children as an insurance policy to not only work the  farm but to care for us in old age, but it still is most common for the elderly to be cared for first by a spouse and then by one or more of their adult children.  For those without kids entering the older age, it may be time to spend a little extra time doting on a favorite niece or nephew.