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Research coauthored by William Chopik, a social-personality psychologist at Michigan State University, that was published in 2021 in the journal _Frontiers in Psychology_ also found

friendship benefits. “When older adults place low importance on friendship, they may be less likely to receive emotional and practical help from friends, leaving them exposed, with no

buffers, to the negative emotions stemming from changes in their lives (for example, declines in physical health),” the study says.  BEFRIENDING PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND STAGES David Fink, 65,

of Chicago, seems to collect friends, which he believes is partly because of his career owning a theater. Now a live-performance promoter, he says, “people in the arts connect with all

levels of society,” which crosses boundaries from socioeconomic to ethnic to age. “People keep adopting me,” Fink says. “If you live your life with a positive attitude and do interesting

things, people befriend you.” Fink says he’s also developed friendships with younger adults due to his varied interests. He’s involved in storytelling classes and volunteer activities,

including an AIDS garden. In the past several years, Fink has traveled the world with a performance group, most recently spending six weeks in India. “We have a mission,” he says. “The motto

is ‘Live as one family.’ We show the beauty of multiculturalism in the arts. In this country, people really need to find their tribe and find their community now.” Because his mother had

health issues that began before she turned 30, Fink says he’s planned for his aging future and has granted his medical power of attorney to extended-family members rather than his siblings,

who he believes wouldn’t have the “detachment necessary” for decision-making. His mother lives in suburban Chicago. “I do think there’s a lot of loneliness and isolation — particularly

around aging,” Fink says. “It takes effort to find your people and stay connected.” “You can’t necessarily rely on your immediate nuclear family,” says Louise Hawkley, who retired last year

after serving as a principal research scientist at NORC, an independent, nonpartisan research institution at the University of Chicago. “It’s important to have friends all along on one’s

life course.” An AARP survey of solo agers who are 50 and older, conducted by NORC and released in 2021, found that just one-third of respondents have someone to help manage their household

or handle daily expenses; 77 percent reported little or no planning for living assistance as they age. Among the organizations trying to help older adults is the nonprofit Village to Village

Network. This membership-based national group encourages groups of neighbors in a designated area to bond together and care for each other so that all can successfully age in their

communities. Each virtual village is different, but most offer educational programs and social events, transportation to medical appointments, vetted service providers and other support

systems for members. Currently, 285 villages are operating, with another 50 in development. “A lot of people think solo agers have nobody around. Some have adult children who are not in the

picture,” says Barbara Sullivan, executive director. “A lot of the choices are building your caregiving team — who is going to be the person to be responsible.” Sullivan says solo aging will

be highlighted at her organization’s virtual conference in September. “This is a part of growing older,” she says.