Aging and Childlessness

One of the questions people ask me about being childless is, "Don't you worry about who will take care of you when you are older?" That is not a good reason to have kids. And it's no guarantee that they will, or can, be there for you. My strategy for growing old is to plan for it. First off by taking good care of my body and keeping my mind sharp. Exercise, healthy eating, all that. Plus I’ve made agreements with certain people in my life that they will let me know if they think I’m in need of assistance, or my hearing isn’t so good anymore, or that I should no longer be driving, that kind of thing. I plan to move, when the time comes, to a place that is manageable for my capabilities at a given age. Advance directives and medical and financial power of attorney are all place. Most importantly, because this is a nice way to live, as well as to grow older, I have friends of all ages and we already share the care-taking amongst us. Check out this article from Sarah Zeff Geber at Forbes on "solo aging.”