Without Safety Net of Kids or Spouse, ‘Elder Orphans’ Need Fearless Fallback Plan

Nearly a quarter of Americans face old age without the safety net of a spouse or children

Aging alone presents a challenge to those facing years of dependency. Bruno Martins/Unsplash

It was a memorable place to have an “aha” moment about aging.

Peter Sperry had taken his 82-year-old father, who’d had a stroke and used a wheelchair, to Disney World. Just after they’d made their way through the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, nature called. Sperry took his father to the bathroom where, with difficulty, he changed the older man’s diaper.