“The ability for us to take the medication correctly, if we have two medicines, it falls by half,” Sheriffs said, and is more complicated with each additional medication. “Now add in if the doctor says, ‘I want you to take this one on an empty stomach and this one on a full stomach,’ which may be the best way to take those medications, it gets impractical really fast.”
Seniors’ ability to feed themselves is also a significant concern. In the San Joaquin Valley, nutritional deficiencies are among the leading causes of death for people ages 65 and older, according to federal mortality data.
“Nutrition is huge because it comes back to frailty, it comes back to falls,” Sherriffs said. “We know nutrition is important in terms of cardiovascular health, our risk of diabetes, and more.”
Emotional and mental health
In addition to the physical risks of living alone as one ages, there is also a significant potential for depression and isolation, particularly for seniors who are widowed or divorced, have no children or family nearby or no longer have the ability or desire to drive.
Census Bureau estimates indicate that in 2024, more than 22% of the Valley’s senior citizens were widowed, while more than 16% were divorced or separated. About 6% had never married.
“When someone loses a spouse or goes through divorce, it is important that they, from the beginning, have somebody that cares about them, that can pay attention,” Kings View’s Nugent Divine said. “We can say to them, ‘Hey, let me know if it gets bad and I don’t recognize it.’ Because when we’re in the throes of depression, our sensibilities are distorted.”
Nugent Divine said that people are wired to be in relationships, and human connections are particularly important as we age.
“We need a partner in aging, and whether that’s a romantic spouse or not is irrelevant,” she said. “It’s really more about, do we have a close relationship with our kids, or do we have a buddy or friend that we can age with, an ‘aging buddy.’”
“I don’t think it matters if it’s in the same household,” Nugent Divine added. “It’s just that when we’re in the same household, we notice, like, if there’s food in the fridge. But you can have an aging buddy who is not in the same household, but you see them every day.”
Such a network of people – whether family, neighbors or close friends – is something that both Sherriffs and Nugent Divine said is important for seniors who are aging alone. Living alone, they said, does not necessarily mean being lonely.
“You know, many people who are living alone, they like it, they like the independence,” Sheriffs said. “They appreciate that they can do it in their time: wake up when they want, do this now, do that later. That’s fine.”
“It’s when being alone becomes lonely that it’s bad for our health, it’s bad for cardiovascular health,” he added. “It puts us at risk for dementia when … being alone becomes lonely.”
Nugent Divine offered similar thoughts.
“You could be not lonely, living at home alone, yes,” she said. “Go out and meet friends for coffee, you know, once a week, twice a week. Those are the people who know you, they know who you are, they see you, and that may be enough for you. It’s a different amount for each person.”
Community resources and connections
Where one lives can affect the availability of resources and services that aging adults can access when they’re living on their own, and complicate their ability to create the types of personal networks or relationships that prevent being alone from becoming lonely.
“I cringe when somebody in their 60s or 70s is talking about building their dream home in the foothills because this is an interaction of a time of life where we’re likely to need more assistance, more social service, more access to health care, and we’re moving to a place that’s farther away from that,” Sherriffs said.
Facilities such as community senior centers are also an important resource for seniors who have the ability to get to them and who may not have the money to live in a long-term care facility or to pay for professional in-home care.
“I think (senior centers are) incredibly, incredibly important, because most people can’t afford options that are available to very few,” Nugent Divine said. “Most people are going to be isolated if they don’t have a community center. … I think that’s part of what the county and the community has a responsibility, to provide those options.”
In the city of Fresno, for example, there are numerous community centers that include programs and activities for senior citizens among their many offerings. But the region’s largest city – also the fifth most populous city in the state – does not yet have a dedicated senior center.
In mid-2022, the city purchased property along Blackstone Avenue, one of Fresno’s main commercial corridors, for the development of a state-of-the-art senior center at the site of a former grocery supermarket. At that time, optimistic cost estimates were about $25 million, with an equally optimistic opening date in 2025.
As with many public projects, Fresno’s route to a senior center had had some bumps. A construction contract was awarded last summer for about $41 million. Grading of the site is now underway, and the opening date is now anticipated for the summer of 2027.
But to Sherriffs’ point, while many smaller cities have community centers or even dedicated senior activity centers, smaller, far-flung unincorporated communities in the region may have few, if any, resources to support those who are aging alone.
“If you don’t have a network, if you’re truly solo, well, you need to think about ways to build a network, because that’s much more satisfying and successful,…” Sherriffs said. “We need a buddy system. … You can make an arrangement that they’ll call once a day and check in, and if you don’t answer the phone, then they’ll call the appropriate number that you gave them, which might be a family member somewhere, might be the police or whatever.”
Companionship from pets
Not every connection needs to be a human one. For many seniors who live alone, a pet can become a valuable companion to help stave off loneliness – provided they can properly care for it.
“I think pets can be life saving,” Nugent Divine said. “I know some people feel like, ‘Oh my gosh, ‘it’s just an animal, it’s just a dog,’ but oh my gosh, they really can fill that void in a lot of ways.”
A dog or cat, “is just an unconditional source of affection and care, and companionship,” she added. “I think pets are wonderful.”
“Wonderful” is the same word Sherriffs used to describe the benefits of pets for seniors who live on their own.
“That’s an important social interaction,” he said. “I can’t say enough good about it.”
Still, he added, pets cannot completely replace the need for human interactions.
“The pet’s not going to pick up the phone and call 9-1-1 if you call down and there’s nobody around,” he said.
Resources for seniors
Counties up and down the San Joaquin Valley have agencies that provide information, resources and services for senior citizens, from nutrition and Meals on Wheels programs to financial and insurance counseling, health counseling and more. Those agencies They include:
Fresno and Madera counties: Fresno-Madera Area Agency on Aging, phone 559-214-0299, online www.fmaaa.org/.Kern County: Kern County Aging & Adult Services, phone 661-868-1000, online www.kerncounty.com/government/aging-adult-services.Kings and Tulare counties: Kings/Tulare Area Agency on Aging, phone 800-321-2462, online ktaaa.org/.Merced County: Merced County Adult and Aging Services, phone 209-385-3000, online www.countyofmerced.com/451/Adult-and-Aging; Merced County Area Agency on Aging, phone 209-385-7550, online www.countyofmerced.com/1475/Area-Agency-on-Aging.San Joaquin County: San Joaquin County Department of Aging & Community Services, phone 209-468-1104, online www.sjchsa.org/Aging-Community.Stanislaus County: Stanislaus County Aging & Veterans Services, phone 209-558-8698, online www.stancounty.com/aging/.
Tim Sheehan is the Health Care Reporting Fellow at the nonprofit Central Valley Journalism Collaborative. The fellowship is supported by a grant from the Fresno State Institute for Media and Public Trust. Contact Sheehan at tim@cvlocaljournalism.org.