Geriatric Orphans: a Study of Severe Isolation in an Elderly Population

This study explores the question, ?How do severely isolated senior citizens experience their worlds?? Within the United States, there is a group of elderly individuals I have termed ?geriatric orphans? - people who do not have family or close associations to assist them with needed activities of daily living. The results show that isolated seniors have a higher incidence of loneliness and depression. As they grow older and more isolated, they seek new ways to develop and maintain some sort of ?meaning? to their lives. The participants each developed patterns of behaviors to cope with losses - of spouses, friends, relationships, and physical abilities. Those who were still mobile enough to leave their homes regularly were able to maintain relationships. More often, the outside relationships merely masked the loneliness and feelings of inadequacy the participant would return home to. The study found that those individuals who were aging ?successfully? were also those with the best health. Most of the participants were homebound, or totally dependent on others for mobility.