A lot of older women are choosing to be alone rather than stay with their partners. What causes this change? You’ll find 18 reasons for it in this article.
Alcohol Abuse
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism says that “approximately 20 percent of adults aged 60–64 and around 10 percent over age 65 report current binge drinking.” Alcohol abuse is more common in older men than women. As a result, many women are leaving their partners and choosing to be alone.
Abuse
Domestic abuse is not just something that happens with younger couples. People over 60 are in danger, too. One reason why many older women choose to be alone is because they’re fed up with being abused constantly and are finally breaking free from their abusive partners.
Skepticism
There are more scams taking place now than ever before and older people are the targets. Because of this, many single older women would prefer to stay on their own rather than let someone new into their lives whom they’re not sure they can trust.
Family Pressure
Accepting a new partner can be very difficult for older children. Because many women are worried about what their family members will say if they start dating again, they remain single. They do this to keep the peace and avoid introducing complicated step-sibling relationships into the mix.
Society
Society doesn’t look at a new relationship between older people the same way it would see a new relationship between two younger people. There’s a lot of stigma about finding love after 60, and because of this, many women avoid getting into relationships in their old age.
Socializing
Many older women would prefer to stick with their close-knit family unit rather than venture out and start making new friends in their old age. That’s why they find it hard to meet new people and potential partners. They don’t want the fuss, so they stay alone.
Moving to a New House
Most elderly women would prefer to stay in the neighborhood they know and are currently living in rather than uproot themselves and live somewhere else. Because of this, they are reluctant to look for a new partner because they don’t want the hassle of having to move in with him or get used to a new environment.
Differing Interests
Many older women are choosing to be alone rather than with their partners because of their differing interests. They want to spend their retirement doing one thing, while their partner has a completely different plan. Since they can’t settle for one idea or the other, they separate.
Travel
Figures from The Senior List show that “adults aged 60 and above accounted for nearly 37 percent of travelers in 2023.” Yes, seniors are spending a lot of time traveling. But some seniors don’t want to travel or have differing opinions on where they’d like to go. Because of this, some women travel alone.
Financial Independence
Times have changed and many women no longer depend on their partners financially. Because they have relative financial stability, they decide to part with their spouse when they’re not happy instead of enduring an unhappy relationship for the rest of their retirement.
Society and Marriage
Nowadays, many people are cohabiting instead of getting married. This isn’t seen in the same bad light as it was just a few decades ago. So, instead of committing to a new partner and getting married, many older women are having more casual partnerships where they’re seeking company rather than commitment.
Infidelity
Many women have been putting up with infidelity in their marriages for years now, and they’re tired of it. Instead of having to continue putting up with it for their entire retirement, they choose to leave their partners. As a result, they end up alone.
Gambling
According to PlayToday.co, “Men gamble more than women. About 64% of the gambling population are men, and only 36% are women.” Yes, gambling is more likely to become a problem for a man than a woman. Because of this addiction, many women are leaving their husbands and staying alone.
Arguing
Constantly arguing can weaken a relationship to the point where both parties are fed up with one another and want to break up. Many couples have spent decades fighting over the same things. Because of this, they’re deciding to break up, and the women are choosing to stay alone rather than get involved with anyone else.
Money
One of the main topics for arguments among couples is money. When couples can’t decide how to spend their money, the relationship can become estranged. Many women are leaving their husbands over disagreements about money and are staying on their own. They want to make their own financial decisions.
Growing Apart
A couple that doesn’t do much together will soon grow apart. This happens to a lot of older couples who don’t spend time together or do spontaneous things together like they used to when they were younger. Because of this, they decide to go their separate ways.
Widowhood
The United Nations calculates that there are 258 million widows around the world. Because men usually die before women, many women end up alone during their old age. Since they get a lot of support from their families and try to stay busy, they remain single instead of getting remarried.
Clubs
There are many clubs for senior citizens that are designed to help them meet new people and keep active during their retirement. Since a lot of older women are taking advantage of these opportunities to leave the house, they aren’t feeling lonely during their retirement. They’re enjoying these clubs and don’t think about getting into a new relationship.
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