Solo Agers is a term that emerged relatively late in the United States and was coined in 2018 by Sara Zeff Geber. In 2021, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) conducted a survey of Solo Agers, whom they defined as people older than 50 who lived alone, were neither married nor in a long-term relationship, and had no living children The definition of Solo Agers is sometimes expanded to include those who have children who live far away or are estranged. Solo aging is simply aging on your own.

For most people, this means aging without a spouse, adult children, or other close relatives. Whether they are widowed, divorced, estranged, or never had a spouse or children, many solo agers find themselves in their 70s, 80s, and beyond without any immediate family members. The concept of living alone in old age or solo aging is a practice which is evident in countries like the USA (27 per cent), Denmark (42 per cent), Sweden (47 per cent) and Japan (15 percent). This rise can be attributed to several factors, including increased life expectancy, higher grey divorce, and societal changes in family structures.

According to the India Ageing Report 2021, around 20 percent of the elderly in urban areas prefer living independently, which is a fast-growing trend. Solo Agers are making decisions on their own as they age. It is important to remember that solo aging is not just for individuals who have always been single. For instance, an older adult may become a solo ager when their spouse predeceases them. Even individuals with kids may become solo agers if their children live far away or if they are unable to be involved in aging decisions or caregiving. The population of the elderly is growing fast, both in terms of proportion and in absolute numbers. As their numbers have grown, the number of individuals experiencing loneliness often or all of the time has also increased. Changing living situations is the main demographic cause of Solo Agers. Studies show that loneliness is found to be more among them. Widowhood, increasing dependency ratio as well as economic dependency, type of family, social network, place of residence, and population migrations are some of the significant correlates of solo aging. Women are found to be more at risk of........

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