With about one-fourth of the US population child-free and about 13-percent of Americans living alone, services are popping up aimed at helping them cope with the possibility of dying alone.
According to the Federal Reserve’s 2024 Economic Well-Being of U.S. Household report (the most recent year available), this amounts to a substantial portion of the adult population -- especially older adults -- who live alone, called by some "solo aging."
Dr. Jay Zigmont, the founder of Childfree Trust, argues that it's extremely important to start thinking of how one's affairs might be handled, should they die alone -- and the sooner decisions are made, the better.
One of the great challenges is for people to come to terms with the fact that death is inevitable and we all need help in planning for that time.
Dr. Zigmont says he knows of people who've set up their funeral and other plans as early as their mid-20s, though they're few.
"We often see people in that mid-50s range when they start thinking about it -- and especially those people who have just handled it for their parents."
And another of the great challenges is putting a plan in place that could be especially beneficial for those who have no spouse or children.
"If you appoint someone to be your medical power of attorney and get estate paperwork in, they can have someone appointed to make decisions for them when they can't," he says.
"And if you don't, you could wind up with a court-appointed guardian conservatorship, which is what nobody wants."
But there's one more extremely important point he emphasizes -- the earlier in life the decision is made to set up powers of attorney and to set up a way for death and funeral expenses to be paid, the better.
"In Texas, attorneys are willing to do these financial components, or trust companies, but they don't necessarily want to do the medical components.
"At Childfree Trust we have one of the first nationwide solutions to this by becoming a solo-ager's power of attorney and even next of kin, executor and trustee, so they know if they ever get sick we'll make sure their dog gets let out."