| Description |
Individuals aging without a support network, also known as elder orphans or unbefriended older adults, are at increased risk of negative outcomes such as loneliness and depression, health declines and mortality, self-neglect, financial insecurity, financial exploitation, and institutionalization. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the challenges and experiences of elder orphans through the perspectives of 10 community-based service providers and to understand the burden and distress service providers experience while supporting elder orphan clients. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the providers who represented multiple occupations such as social work, law enforcement, and hospital discharge planning, etc. The data was analyzed and summarized into categories based on responses to the research questions. Providers explicated the life circumstances of elder orphan clients, including the ways they became orphaned, such as family estrangement, never marrying and/or having children, and COVID-19 deaths, etc. The providers also reported that most of their elder orphan clients experience negative emotional, physical, and financial challenges and poor outcomes due to their solo status. Gaps in services were highlighted in addition to the need for standardized terminology to identify older adults aging without support. Terminology was seen by the providers as a tool to describe elder orphans as a group for which services and interventions could potentially be created. Further, the findings show the distress and challenges the providers face while trying to meet the needs of these clients who do not have other support. This study highlights the need for earlier intervention in the lives of elder orphans to prevent poor outcomes and to create programs and initiatives to empower our service providers to meet the needs of elder orphan clients and reduce their distress. This study supports the need for further research to better understand ways to address the challenges faced by elder orphans. |
