Chicagoland seniors are increasingly navigating aging without a spouse, partner, or nearby adult children to lean on. This growing group has a name now: solo agers. Understanding what that means, and what it changes about your housing plan, matters more than most people realize, especially here in the South Suburbs.
What “Solo Ager” Actually Means
A solo ager is generally defined as an adult 50 or older who lives alone without a spouse, partner, or children nearby to help with decisions or care. The term is relatively new, but the situation it describes has always existed in some form. It simply describes a housing and support situation that looks different from the traditional family safety net.
Solo aging happens for many different reasons. Some people never married or had children. Others are widowed or divorced later in life. Some have children who live far away or are estranged. There is no single story here. Whatever the path that led here, the practical questions that follow are strikingly similar.
The label itself matters less than the reality behind it. What matters is recognizing that the traditional assumption that a spouse or an adult child will step in when needed simply does not apply the same way. That recognition, once it happens, becomes the starting point for real planning.
The Numbers Are Bigger Than Most People Realize
According to AARP, 21 percent of American adults 50 and older, roughly 24 million people, now live alone without a spouse or partner. That number is growing quickly. By 2038, Harvard University researchers estimate the majority of Americans 80 and older will be solo agers.
This is not a small or unusual situation. It is a rapidly expanding part of American life. Chicagoland seniors are very much part of that trend. If this describes your life, you are joining millions of people navigating the exact same questions. You are not the only one asking these questions, even if it sometimes feels that way.
Consider a woman I will call Carol, 68, widowed six years ago, living alone in a three-bedroom home in the South Suburbs. Her only son lives in Arizona. She is healthy, active, and genuinely enjoys her independence. But when a friend asked who would help her if she fell and could not get to the phone, Carol realized she did not have a clear answer. That single question is where solo aging planning usually begins.
Why Housing Becomes the Central Question
According to Harvard Health, a 2023 AARP survey found that 78 percent of solo agers worry about losing their independence. Sixty percent worry specifically about not being able to stay in their current home. Only 41 percent have a living will or advance directive in place.
Housing sits at the center of nearly every solo aging concern. Without a spouse or adult child nearby, decisions about staying in your current home, downsizing, or moving somewhere with built-in support all carry extra weight. There is no backup plan quietly waiting in the wings.
According to a National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys publication, solo agers face distinct housing challenges around affordability, physical accessibility, and the risk of social isolation. Homeowners who have adult children nearby often have a built-in fallback option. Solo agers typically do not, which makes proactive planning far more important.
A large two-story home with stairs, a big yard, and rooms that go unused can quietly work against a solo ager over time. Physical accessibility matters more when there is no one else in the household to notice a struggle or step in to help. A single-story layout, a walkable neighborhood, or a community with built-in social opportunities can change the entire equation for daily safety and independence.
This does not mean every solo ager should move immediately. Aging in place can absolutely work. Working best usually requires a deliberate choice backed by planning, not a default that happens simply because moving feels overwhelming to consider alone.
The Documents That Matter Most
Two documents come up again and again in solo aging conversations. A durable power of attorney lets someone you trust make financial decisions on your behalf if you cannot. Alongside that, a health care proxy or advance directive does the same thing for medical decisions.
Without these documents, a court may need to appoint a guardian if you become unable to make decisions yourself. That process is often slower, more expensive, and more disruptive than most people expect. Having these documents in place well before they are needed protects your independence rather than limiting it.
Choosing who holds these roles can feel difficult without an obvious family member to ask. A trusted friend, a niece or nephew, or a professional fiduciary can all serve these functions. What matters most is choosing someone before a crisis forces the decision to be made in a hurry.
Building Your Own Support System
Solo agers who thrive tend to build what Harvard Health calls “a little just in case community.” This might include a neighbor who checks in regularly. It might also include a friend who serves as your named power of attorney, or a local senior center that offers wellness calls. None of this requires a spouse or adult child. It simply requires intention.
Community and connection matter for housing decisions too. A maintenance-heavy single-family home might have made sense with a partner sharing the workload. Living solo, a smaller home, a 55-plus community, or a building with more built-in social connection can make daily life considerably easier.
Carol, from earlier, eventually found her answer through a combination of steps. She named a close friend as her health care proxy. A walking group two mornings a week gave her a built-in reason to leave the house regularly. She also started seriously touring smaller ranch-style homes closer to her friend’s neighborhood.
Why This Isn’t About Being Alone Forever
Solo aging is not automatically a sad story. Many solo agers report feeling independent, satisfied, and even happy with their living situation. The freedom of living life on your own terms is real, and it deserves to be honored rather than treated as a problem to fix.
At the same time, housing decisions made with clear eyes tend to serve solo agers better than decisions made by default. Default decisions tend to happen slowly, without anyone quite noticing, until a small problem becomes a bigger one. I encourage every solo ager to think through housing not as a single event but as an ongoing plan that adjusts as life changes.
As an SRES®, I’ve trained specifically to understand how legal and financial decisions intersect with real estate timing, including for homeowners without a traditional family support system nearby. That’s exactly why I encourage every solo ager to think through timing, location, and support networks together, rather than treating housing as an isolated decision.
A Final Thought
Being a solo ager does not mean facing every decision without support. It means being intentional about building the support that a spouse or nearby adult child might otherwise provide. Housing is one of the biggest pieces of that puzzle, and it deserves real thought rather than default assumptions.
Whatever your current living situation looks like, you do not have to figure out every answer today. That is genuinely true, and it is worth repeating. Taking even one small step moves you forward with more confidence than waiting ever will.
When you are thinking about your next move, the free resource library has practical guides covering everything from downsizing and aging in place to senior living options and the resources you need to make confident decisions along the way. And if you would like to understand how I work with homeowners over 50, the Homeowners 50+ page is the right place to start.
Prefer watching instead of reading? This auto-generated video summarizes the key points discussed in this article.
Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, or financial advice. Every homeowner’s situation is unique. Please consult a qualified CPA, tax advisor, or estate attorney before making any decisions related to the sale of your home.
If you’re starting to think about what comes next, you don’t have to figure it out on your own. Sometimes it helps just to talk things through.
You can always take the next step at your own pace, with no pressure and no expectations. I’m always happy to help you get a clearer picture of your options.
Michelle Williams is a REALTOR® and SRES® serving Chicago and the South Suburbs, helping homeowners 50+ make confident decisions about their next move.