In the study of aging and older adults, we have a lot of research on the needs of older adults who live alone. Likewise, we have a lot of resources geared towards individuals aging alone—like advice for organizing their lives, protecting their assets, and more. What we don’t have much of? Research into how our systems can better serve this group of individuals. That’s why our research into Minnesota’s solos is so important.
Who is a solo?
Solos are individuals who, by choice or circumstance, function without the support system traditionally provided by family. If we’re not solos ourselves, it’s likely that we know a solo.
While solos can be any age, many are older adults, which is a function of changing family and community compositions. As families get smaller and people live longer, it becomes more likely that people will live alone as they age. In Minnesota, there are over 500,000 solos who were born before 1966. Just over half (54%) live in the 7-county Twin Cities metro area and just under half (46%) live in greater Minnesota. (Source: integrated Public Use Microdata Series from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2019-2023)
Solo stereotypes
Solos are often thought of as isolated or lonely. Some are and some aren’t, just like everyone else. It is not always an issue of just needing to get out there and make more friends. Many solos live meaningful and vibrant lives. And many do live alone. The key difference is that solos do not have people around them who can automatically step in to help them when they interact with services.
Why understanding the needs of solos is important
Wilder: What does it look like when solos interact with services and systems designed for people with family support?
Linda: Sometimes organizations have customs and practices that make sense for their operations but create hurdles for solos. One common example is when medical providers require clients to identify the person who will drive them to an appointment, wait during a procedure, and then drive them home. Not every solo has a person who can do this for them.
Wilder: Can you give us a real life example?
Linda: I know a solo who postponed a preventative medical treatment several times because she didn’t have someone who had the time and ability to help her out. She finally got around the requirement by paying a taxi driver to walk into the facility with her and come into the facility to get her at the end.
Another common example is organizations requesting the name of an emergency contact. I had three requests for an emergency contact in one month:
- My condo association needed the name of the person who could let someone into my unit in an emergency
- My financial advisor needed the name of a “trusted person” in case they thought I was being financially exploited
- A nonprofit I volunteer with needed a contact in case of some unknown emergency
It’s faulty to assume that everyone has a single all-purpose person in their lives who can be a contact in different types of emergencies.
Wilder: What could we do to change systems to better support solos?
Linda: Systems are complex and involve many moving parts. That means that any change in systems will also be complicated, as well as time consuming.
A first step is asking organizations to understand the realities of “solo-ness” and helping people who can make changes to understand how the organizations work. It’s important to ask questions like: Why are these practices and procedures in place? and What policies and resources shape these operations?
After that, organizations need to form partnerships to make changes. No one person or organization has all the necessary information or knowledge. I have used this approach in my own work. I started by partnering with the Citizens League and the Minnesota Elder Justice Center. Then I worked with nonprofits, local governments, and senior centers to create 14 support groups for solos throughout Minnesota. Now I am working with Wilder Research to learn more about solos and systems.
Read the current report on Minnesota’s Solos here.
About the Authors
Christin Lindberg is a researcher with Wilder who is dedicated to collaborative work that helps tell the stories of individuals, families, and communities to highlight strengths and address needs. Read her full bio.
Linda J. Camp is an independent consultant, writer, and researcher. Her work focuses on strategic planning, systems analysis, and change management. Her current work focuses on solo older adults. She served as Project Manager for a 2018 Bush Foundation funded project on solos and is the creator of the Backup Plan—a planning model and tool specifically designed for solos.
