Childless Lawyer Worries About Her Future, Does Advance Planning
Seniors without children are more likely to end up in a nursing home, a fact that isn’t lost on Ann Logan.
The 63-year-old New York lawyer has three sisters, a stepbrother and seven first cousins, the New York Times reports. All are childless.
Logan worries that no one will be available for support as she and her relatives grow older. It’s an increasing concern among baby boomers, a quarter of which may be childless, according to some estimates.
“When there’s no one to monitor whether we’re starting to act foolishly, what happens?” Logan told the Times. “Our contemporaries might think we’re normal because they’re having the same problems.”
The newspaper spoke to University of Southern California gerontologist Merril Silverstein, who offered some encouraging results from a recent study of people over age 75. Childless study subjects weren’t receiving less care than others, and they still reported being happy and enjoying life.
Logan is dealing with her fears through careful planning. She has her legal documents in order, including a power of attorney and heath care proxy. She has long-term care insurance and supplemental health insurance. She pays her bills automatically in case she is hospitalized.
“I have a horror of all the things that could happen if I didn’t plan,” Logan told the Times.
