Friendships

Data has shown that there’s an ever-growing community of people aging on their own, without the support or companionship of a partner, adult child, or other loved ones. According to a recent AARP survey, 21% of US adults age 50 and above live alone, representing 24 million people, including one…

By now, you’re likely aware of the central role that friendships play in our lives as we get older. As the saying goes, “Friends are the family we choose,” and in fact, many of us are getting ready to celebrate a “Friendsgiving” instead of, or in addition to, whatever Thanksgiving…

We’ve spent countless posts detailing the negative health consequences that stem from loneliness, as well as the value of social connections for healthier aging. Both loneliness and social isolation are serious international problems, with a recent World Health Organization report proclaiming that one in six people worldwide (both young and…

No doubt you’ve heard about the array of efforts underway by both serious scientists and serial entrepreneurs to extend the length of life well beyond current human boundaries. And you’ve also likely read, in both agebuzz and elsewhere, about efforts to extend your “healthspan” along with your life span: that…

The writer Ernest Hemingway once said, “There is no friend as loyal as a book.” While some may consider robots and AI technology to be the best solutions for the loneliness and social isolation so many older adults experience these days, the reality is that Hemingway may have had it…

When it comes to friendships, there are two sides to the equation. There is the question of how good a friend you are to others, and then there is the question of how you feel about the friends you have (or how you find new friends at your age in…