In the US, about 28% (14.7 million) of community-dwelling older adults live alone, which is 21% of older men and 34% of older women. The percentage of people living alone increases with age (ie, among women ≥ 75 years, about 44% live alone).

Setting these differences aside, most countries in the world have a few things in common: Older women are considerably more likely than older men (20% vs. 11%) to live in solo households. This can be partially explained by a tendency among women to live a few years longer and partner with men who are older.

12 million The number of Americans over age 65 who live alone, according to a report by the Pew Research Center. The percentage of older adults who live alone quintupled from 6 percent in 1900 to a peak of 29 percent in 1990, and has slowly declined since then, to 26 percent in 2014.

Increased longevity is the main demographic reason for the rise in elderly people living alone. As noted earlier, living alone is more frequent among elderly women [3,10,15,16,18,20] because of the gender gap in longevity and the common pattern of women marrying older men, which increases the risk of widowhood.

The majority of older adults (93.5 percent, or 33.4 million) live in the community.

More than 40 percent of seniors regularly experience loneliness, according to a University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) study. This feeling of separation and disconnection from others may predict serious health problems and even death, the UCSF researchers find.

One of the most effective methods seems to be cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which can help a lonely individual better understand how his or her assumptions and behavior might be working against the desire to connect with others.

Talk to your partner or spouse: It’s important to let them know how you feel. You and your partner or spouse may be able to work together for the good of the relationship. For example, maybe it’s time to plan a weekend getaway, or a date night. Even a walk in the park together could help relieve a sense of loneliness.

Is it normal to feel alone in a marriage? It’s actually relatively common to feel alone in a marriage: One in three married people over age 45 report being lonely, according to a 2018 AARP national survey. But that doesn’t mean loneliness in a marriage is necessarily normal.

Being in a lonely marriage doesn’t mean you’re physically excluding your partner from your life, but you’re emotionally excluding them from your thoughts. While you two may talk, you’re not communicating your hopes, fears and dreams.

Consider these steps to promote healing:

1. Take some time. Before choosing to continue or end your marriage, take the time to heal and understand what was behind the affair.
2. Be accountable.
3. Get help from different sources.
4. Consult a marriage counselor.
5. Restore trust.

What’s the best way to break up with someone?

1. Prepare. Think about what you’re going to say in advance.
2. Pick the right spot. Talk to your partner somewhere that’s comfortable for both of you.
3. Say it in person.
4. Be respectful.
5. Make a clean break.
6. Stick with your decision.

15 Tips for Letting Go of a Relationship That Is Not Healthy

• Recognize the Problem. Awareness is the first step.
• Allow Yourself to Feel.
• Discover the Lesson.
• Create Separation.
• Let Go of the Mementos.
• Take Off Your Love Goggles.
• Compose a Letter to Your Ex.
• Focus On Empowering Yourself.