In particular, hip fractures and their complications are a major factor in institutionalization for older women. Don't treat being alone like it was the end of the world. One of the most emotional experiences a woman now living alone must overcome is a divorce. Many women after many years of marriage joined a growing number of other women who, on their path to the golden years, made a pit stop in the courtroom. Today, there are 1.3 million divorced Americans 65 and older, a group that, since 1980, has increased more than twice as fast as the population of older Americans as a whole.
Marriages run into different challenges upon retirement and can end in divorce.
All of a sudden with all that time with one another you come to realize that you have not worked at the relationship. Dividing up friends after a long-term marriage often is as stressful as dividing up the property. The most serious consequences of a divorce for women in their later years may be the economic impact. It is safe to say that loneliness is one of the greatest problems of living alone for women as well as for men. However, women in general have more friends and acquaintances than men who they can call upon to talk about their troubles or to get together with just for company.