Very Old, Widowed and Single Men Living Alone: The Effect of Residence, Retirement Village vs the Community, On Social Interactions, Friendships and Loneliness

This exploratory study investigates the impact of residence on the social networks reported by very old (75 years+) single and widowed men who live alone, either in the community (n=26) or an independent living unit in a retirement village (n=24). With research suggesting that older men living alone are most at risk for experiencing social isolation, this study investigates whether living in a retirement village, surrounded by same-age peers, might ameliorate loneliness by facilitating social interactions. Participants living in the community and retirement villages reported their overall loneliness, contact with friends and their satisfaction with that contact. The results indicated that, regardless of residence, older men living alone report minimal levels of telephone and face-to-face contact with friends. However, when contact with other residents is included, compared to their peers in the community, older men living alone in retirement villages reported twice the number of social interactions. Additionally, although not a statistically significant difference, older men living alone in the community reported greater loneliness and were less satisfied with the amount of contact they had with friends than retirement village residents. With researchers repeatedly linking social interactions with better mental and physical health, the finding that living in a retirement village fosters social interactions suggests that where older people chose to live may positively affect their overall wellbeing. Given the scarcity of published research comparing life in a retirement village with life at home in the community, the findings of this exploratory study highlight the need to further research issues of ageing among older men