Lonely Living Arrangements and Coping with Loneliness in Old Age

Abstract

This article considers the semantic localization of loneliness by reflecting on the everyday life of elderly people. The research focuses on the causes of loneliness and how it is socially projected in the experience of older people who live apart from their family and loved ones. It also examines the mechanisms deployed to regulate this state of loneliness, such as how protection and preservation processes are 'triggered'. What is shown is that separate accommodation is assessed in different ways; elderly people highlight both positive and negative aspects that are not directly associated with loneliness. The factors that trigger the experience of loneliness are financial insolvency, increased health anxieties, and shortcomings in the provision of care on an institutional level. Some of the resources and procedures employed to regulate loneliness include recalling romantic memories, the existence of ’reference points’ necessary to anchor the person in the chain of current events, and a host of other practices such as religion, hobbies, interests and seeking companionship. The authors draw attention to the perceptions and experiences of elderly people, which, in terms of their content, may be either restorative or reflective. In both cases the same memory mechanisms may occur but with different narratives. These differences are projected on to behavioral strategies. In the first case a person may simply resent the ’injustice’ of life. Such a person feels lonely no matter whether they have a family, or feel healthy or sick, rich or poor. In the second case, an elderly person tells her/his  personal story and finds support in the images of memory that help her/him cope with loneliness. The article deals with the presentation and experience of older people, which may contribute to the discussion of topical issues in social policy initiatives towards older people.