Staying Connected at Home

Maybe you know someone like this: a retired librarian, 84, who has lived alone for 12 years and likes it. But her closest friend moved away, and she no longer drives at night. Some weeks, the only voice she hears is the radio, and her son worries.

Staying home works best when home is connected to people. Friends, neighbors, a place of worship, a club, and a regular phone call all help keep life full. They also help keep problems from going unnoticed.

This guide covers why connection matters for health and for staying home, and what it costs. It covers low-cost and free ways to stay in touch, and how another person can help. It does not assume anyone is lonely. Many people enjoy living alone.

What it is: isolation and loneliness

Social isolation means having few relationships or little contact with others. Loneliness is the feeling of being alone, or of having less connection than you want. They are different. Someone can live alone and feel well connected, or live with family and feel lonely.

Living alone is common. In 2023, 26% of Americans 65 and older lived alone, and 38% of those 85 and older¹. If living alone suits you, our guide "I Like Living Alone." Could Home Sharing Still Fit? respects that choice.

Why connection matters for staying home

The U.S. Surgeon General's 2023 advisory reported that about half of U.S. adults say they experience loneliness². According to the federal health department, social isolation raises the risk of early death by 29%. Poor social relationships can raise the risk of heart disease by 29% and of stroke by 32%. For older adults, long-lasting loneliness and isolation can raise the risk of dementia by about 50%³.

Isolation also has a price. An AARP and Stanford study estimated that Medicare spends about $1,608 more a year on each older adult with few social contacts. That adds up to about $6.7 billion a year. About 14% of people in Original Medicare, roughly 4 million, had few social ties⁴.

Connection also helps in practical ways. A friend who calls each day may notice when something is wrong. A neighbor may offer a ride. These small threads make it easier to stay in the home you choose.

How the cost is set

Most ways to stay connected cost little. A senior center, a place of worship, a library, or a phone call is often free. The costs that add up tend to be phone and internet bills, which providers set. Rides to get places add up too. Our guide Getting Around When You Stop Driving covers rides.

What you get in return

Connection gives you company, purpose, and routine. It also gives you people who know your habits and may notice a change. No single program does all of that. Most people do best with a mix. Try one or two regular activities, a few people who check in, and a way to reach others from home.

Ways to lower the cost

• A senior center. There are almost 10,000 in the U.S., serving more than 1 million older adults every day. Many offer meals, classes, fitness, transportation, benefits help, and volunteer roles⁵.
• Group meals. Federally funded meals are served at senior centers, places of worship, and other group sites. They are open to people 60 and older and their spouses⁶. Our guide Food and Meals: Eating Well at Home on a Budget has more.
• Telephone reassurance and friendly visitors. Many local agencies arrange a regular call or visit from a volunteer. For example, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, offers a daily call at a set time. It is for older adults who live alone and have no one to check on them. If there is no answer, a person you choose is asked to check on you⁷. Ask your Area Agency on Aging what exists near you.
• A friendly voice any time. The Friendship Line, run by the nonprofit Institute on Aging, is a free, 24-hour phone line: 888-670-1360. It serves people 60 and older, adults with disabilities, and caregivers.
• Faith communities, clubs, and classes. Some places of worship have members who visit or call. Libraries, community colleges, and parks departments often offer low-cost classes.
• Volunteering. AmeriCorps Seniors is open to people 55 and older. Its programs include the Foster Grandparent Program, the Senior Companion Program, and the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program. Some programs offer a small payment to volunteers with low income⁸.
• Lower-cost phone and internet. Lifeline gives up to $9.25 a month off phone or internet service, or up to $34.25 on certain Tribal lands. You may qualify with income at or below 135% of the 2026 federal poverty guidelines. You may also qualify if you get SNAP food benefits, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, federal public housing help, or a Veterans Pension⁹. Only one Lifeline discount is allowed per household¹⁰. The larger Affordable Connectivity Program ended on June 1, 2024, when its funding ran out¹¹.
• Help learning technology. Senior Planet from AARP offers free technology classes. It was developed by Older Adults Technology Services. Classes are often offered through local partners¹². Video calls can bring faraway family to your kitchen table.

What is offered varies by state and community, so start with the Eldercare Locator. To keep other housing costs in check, see Help with housing costs, state by state.

What can change it

Connection often shifts after a big change. That might be losing a spouse, a friend moving away, retiring, or giving up driving. If you have recently lost a partner, After the Casseroles Stop speaks to that time.

Someone moving into your home can change your days, too. If they pay rent, read Will Sharing My Home Affect My Benefits? and Taxes on Rent From a Room, in Plain Words.

An extra set of hands

Another person in the home is one option among many. A family member, friend, or neighbor who calls or stops by can do much of the same.

• What it accomplishes. A shared meal, a walk, a ride to a class, or help setting up a video call.
• What it protects. Someone who sees you each day may notice when you seem unwell and suggest you call your doctor. That is noticing, not caregiving.
• What it preserves. Routine. Knowing someone will be home for dinner can give shape to a day. It can also ease a family member's worry from far away.
• What it offers. Company. In HomeShare Vermont's 2024 report, 76% of home providers with someone living with them said they felt less lonely. And 86% said they felt safer¹³. These are reported feelings from one program, not a scientific study.

Hired companionship has a price. In 2025, the national median for non-medical caregiver services was $35 an hour¹⁴.

Company is optional and agreed in advance. Some people share dinner every night. Others mostly keep to themselves. Being present is not caregiving. Skilled or risky work belongs to licensed professionals. That means roofs, trees, electrical, plumbing, gas, and anything on a ladder above the first floor. See Help Around the House Is Not Caregiving.

Watch for

• Online "friends" who ask for money. The Federal Trade Commission's top advice is never to send money or gifts to someone you have not met in person. Be wary of anyone who asks for gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency¹⁵.
• Pressure from new acquaintances. Talk with someone you trust before sharing account details or signing papers. Our guide Protecting Your Money While You Share Your Home has more.

Conversation starters

If you are an adult child or friend talking with an older adult:

• "What do you enjoy most about your week? What do you miss?"
• "Would you like me to set up video calls with the grandkids?"
• "Is there a class or group you've been curious about? I could go with you the first time."

If you are an older adult talking with family or caregivers:

• "I like living alone, but I'd like someone to check in more often."
• "Could we set a regular time each week to talk?"
• "I'd like to try the senior center. Would you help me find out how to get there?"

Living alone is not the same as being lonely, and staying home works best when home is connected to people.

Last reviewed October 14, 2026