ELDER ORPHANS

In today’s society, where the needs of children are top priority and where foster homes have replaced the antiquated idea of orphanages, there still remain those who are truly alone in the world and in desperate need of care and support: elder orphans.

As the baby boomer generation ages—a generation that, for the first time, often elected to remain childless—the numbers of elderly without family support are rapidly increasing. Research indicates that as many as 22% of seniors are in danger of becoming (or already are) orphaned. And with as many as 43 million seniors over age 65 in the U.S., it’s an alarming statistic.

Professor of Geriatrics at Florida State University College, Dr. Kenneth Brummel-Smith, believes that bringing caregivers into the home could be part of the solution. And one particular Medicaid-funded program, Money Follows the Person, takes it a step further, pairing disabled young adults in homes with senior orphans. Or perhaps other seniors could volunteer their support in a communal living environment, a trend that is beginning to take off in the United States.

Awareness of the issue is the first step, and the goal of Dr. Maria Torroella Carney, chief of geriatric and palliative medicine at North Shore-LIJ Health System, is to encourage aging care experts to implement new programs to provide the needed support for the anticipated surge in elder orphans.