single senior

person living alone

aged living in their own homes

unattached elderly [ unattached aged | single aged | single elderly ]

Examples of social innovation in Europe range from coronary heart disease prevention schemes which target the whole community rather than just 'at risk' individuals, social networks of helpful neighbours for old people living on their own, urban Eco-maps which provide local communities with information on their progress towards meeting emissions reduction targets or ethical banks which provide financial products which seek to maximise social and environmental returns on investment.

Across the Union there are considerable differences in the severity of the problem. For instance, the overall risk of poverty ranged in 2001 between 10% in Sweden and 21% in Ireland. In Southern countries, as well as in Ireland, poor people not only benefit comparatively less from the overall prosperity of their respective countries, but also are more likely to be subject to more persistent forms of poverty and deprivation. The risk of poverty tended to be significantly higher for particular groups such as the unemployed, single parents (mainly women), older people ...[+++] living alone (also women mainly) and families with numerous children.

The ageing of the population is accompanied by a growing number of old people living alone, because of greater family mobility, and a higher female employment participation rate, even though women perform the lion's share of informal care work.

The risk of poverty is higher for particular household types in most countries, in particular for older people living alone and lone parents [21].