Today's Health Topic

Steps to stay independent when you live alone

Living alone in our older years can be a challenge and a risk. There’s no one in the house to call paramedics if you get hurt, and there’s no one sitting at the dinner table for conversation or companionship. Isolation can lead to a decline in thinking skills and to an increased risk for depression.

While there are many tools to help you reduce the risks of living alone, implementing them may be easier said than done. “The misconception is that any acceptance of help is somehow the beginning of a slippery slope into dependence and losing control of your life,” says Barbara Moscowitz, a geriatric social worker at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. “We need to reframe what will help us remain independent and accept the tools to help us. Make a choice to enhance your ability to live alone. See assets and positives, not signs of weakness.”

Find out how to safely maintain your independence »

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