Living Arrangements

During the later years of the life course, where and with whom one lives greatly influences the quality of one's life. Yet one's living arrangements are not solely the result of individual choices. The options from which an older person can choose are determined by his or her economic and social resources as well as by his or her state of health. The living arrangements and level of independence vary greatly among the elderly. Most older couples live independently in the community, and many widowed individuals continue to live alone well into their 80s and 90s. As their capacity to live independently declines, some move in with their children and others choose to, or are forced to, move to assisted-living environments. Those with the most severe incapacities often have no choice but to enter nursing homes.

Fully 95% of the U.S. population age 65 years and older lives in the community, and three quarters of these individuals own their own homes. Among the oldest old (> 85 years of age), home ownership is less common, as it is among minorities, unmarried individuals, and those with low incomes. Elderly Hispanic and Black metropolitan residents are the least likely of all groups to own their own homes. These differences in home ownership result in large part from a lack of affordable housing, especially for individuals with low retirement incomes.

[Page 327]Today, approximately 54% of individuals age 65 years and older live with their spouses only, 31% live alone, 13% live with relatives, and 2% live with others to whom they are not related. However, significant gender and racial differences exist. Elderly m en are more likely than elderly women to live with their spouses. In 2003, 71.2% of men age 65 years and older lived with their wives, whereas only 41.1% of women still lived with their husbands. Among the unmarried, older Black and Hispanic individuals are less likely than their non-Hispanic White peers to live alone and are more likely to live with others because of economic need as well as the cultural preference to do so. In 2003, approximately one third of Black, Asian, and Hispanic elderly individuals lived with people other than their spouses (33.5%, 35.8%, and 36%, respectively). Similarly, foreign-born elderly individuals who migrated to the United States during late adulthood are more likely to live with others than are those who migrated earlier in life or those who are native born. For elderly Mexican-origin immigrants, the propensity to move in with family often occurs in the event that they suffer a loss in their capacity to care for themselves.

When a spouse dies, most older people tend to live alone and maintain their independence as long as possible. Since 1970, the number of older single individuals has increased and the rate of growth has been particularly high for women, who tend to outlive their husbands. In 2003, 10.5 million, or one third of all elderly individuals, lived alone. In addition to being mostly female, those who live alone tend to be older and to report good health. Elderly people who live alone also have lower incomes than do married couples. As a consequence, poverty rates are high among elderly individuals who live alone. Compared with married couples, twice as many men and four times as many women who live alone had incomes below poverty in 2003. Elderly minority women living alone are particularly vulnerable to poverty. In 2003, 40.3% of Black women lived in poverty, compared with 26.4% of Black men. Among Hispanics, 40.8% of women and 14.7% of men who lived alone had incomes below poverty.

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