When Solo Aging Leads to Loneliness: Part Three

Let’s make co-housing or platonic partnering work.

(This is part three of a series. Read part one and part two here.)

Creating independent retirement communities in our neighborhoods (suburbs) or buildings (cities) is a way for solo agers to keep their independence and get support at the same time.

Another new idea is to promote platonic partnerships – friends who partner up to share their homes and lives.

Either idea is less expensive than a corporate solution. And more reliable.

So, how do we get these ideas to take root?

Different Priorities

In many modern societies, especially in Western cultures, romantic relationships are treated as the most important bond a person has. Popular media, family expectations, and even legal systems reinforce the idea that finding a romantic partner is essential for fulfillment.

But this focus sidelines other forms of deep, meaningful relationships. What about friendships, chosen family, mentorships, community ties, and intergenerational bonds?

These relationships offer just as much emotional support, but ar…