Kinlessness is the state of having no
family members. This is often defined as an
adult
An adult is a human or other animal that has reached full growth. In human context, the term ''adult'' has meanings associated with social and legal concepts. In contrast to a " minor", a legal adult is a person who has attained the age of major ...
, especially an
older adult
Old age refers to ages nearing or surpassing the life expectancy of human beings, and is thus the end of the human life cycle. Terms and euphemisms for people at this age include old people, the elderly (worldwide usage), OAPs (British usage ...
, who has no
spouse
A spouse is a significant other in a marriage. In certain contexts, it can also apply to a civil union or common-law marriage. Although a spouse is a form of significant other, the latter term also includes non-marital partners who play a social ...
or
children
A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger ...
. It may be defined in other ways, including having no known
relatives Relatives can refer to:
* Kinship
* ''Relatives'' (1985 film), a 1985 Australian movie
* ''Relatives'' (2006 film), a 2006 Hungarian movie
* "Relatives", a song by Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין ...
at all, or having no
first-degree relatives (no surviving
parents
A parent is a caregiver of the offspring in their own species. In humans, a parent is the caretaker of a child (where "child" refers to offspring, not necessarily age). A ''biological parent'' is a person whose gamete resulted in a child, a male t ...
, spouse,
siblings
A sibling is a relative that shares at least one parent with the subject. A male sibling is a brother and a female sibling is a sister. A person with no siblings is an only child.
While some circumstances can cause siblings to be raised separat ...
, or children).
People who are kinless may call themselves ''elder orphans'' or ''solo agers''.
Prevalence and causes
The number of kinless people depends on the definition chosen and the family structures common in their culture. A society in which families have many children will have fewer kinless adults than a society with small families. The
grey divorce phenomenon can result in older adults unexpectedly becoming kinless.
In the US, about 1 in 16 adults over the age of 55 have neither living biological children nor a legally recognized spouse. About 1% of Americans over age 55 have no living spouse, children, or siblings. About 3% of
American women
The legal status of women in the United States is, in comparison to other countries, equal to that of men, and generally, women are viewed as having equal social standing to men as well. However, among other similar laws, the United States has ...
over the age of 75 have no spouse, children, or siblings. Black people in the US are at particularly high risk of being kinless in
old age
Old age refers to ages nearing or surpassing the life expectancy of human beings, and is thus the end of the human life cycle. Terms and euphemisms for people at this age include old people, the elderly (worldwide usage), OAPs (British usage ...
.
[{{Cite book , last1=PhD , first1=Roland J. Thorpe, Jr , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZbdTEAAAQBAJ&dq=kinlessness&pg=PA126 , title=Annual Review of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Volume 41, 2021: Black Older Adults in the Era of Black Lives Matter , last2=PhD , first2=Jessica A. Kelley , date=2021-12-09 , publisher=Springer Publishing Company , isbn=978-0-8261-6632-6 , pages=126 , language=en] These numbers are expected to increase.
Even when an older adult is not technically kinless, they may be unable to receive any care from family members, due to the surviving family member living too far away, a
family estrangement
Family estrangement is the loss of a previously existing relationship between family members, through physical and/or emotional distancing, often to the extent that there is negligible or no communication between the individuals involved for a pr ...
, or the other family member being too
disabled
Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, se ...
to provide care.
Consequences
Kinless adults tend to die slightly younger than adults living in a family setting.
They receive less physical care as they become disabled, and they are more likely to die in a
nursing home
A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of elderly or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as skilled nursing facility (SNF) or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms have slightly different meanings to in ...
.
Some effects can be mitigated by building a
family of choice
A family of choice, also known as chosen family, found family, kith and kin, or hānai family is a term that refers to a non-biologically related group of people established to provide ongoing social support. Unlike a "family of origin" (the biol ...
, which can prevent
social isolation
Social isolation is a state of complete or near-complete lack of contact between an individual and society. It differs from loneliness, which reflects temporary and involuntary lack of contact with other humans in the world. Social isolation c ...
and
loneliness
Loneliness is an unpleasant emotional response to perceived isolation. Loneliness is also described as social paina psychological mechanism which motivates individuals to seek social connections. It is often associated with a perceived lack ...
,
and accessing various types of
social services
Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. They may be provided by individuals, private and independent organisations, or administe ...
, such as
meal delivery services. However, these tend to be limited to neighborly activities or services, such as
running an errand, rather than helping a disabled person with intimate personal needs, such as
toileting
In health care, toileting is the act of assisting a dependent patient with his/her elimination needs.
Methods of toileting
Depending on a patient's condition, his/her toileting needs may need to be met differently. This could be by assisting th ...
and
bathing
Bathing is the act of washing the body, usually with water, or the immersion of the body in water. It may be practiced for personal hygiene, religious ritual or therapeutic purposes. By analogy, especially as a recreational activity, the term is ...
.
See also
*
Only child
An only child is a person with no siblings, Birth, by birth or adoption.
Children who have half-siblings, step-siblings, or have never met their siblings, either living at the same house or at a different house—especially those who were born con ...
– children from small families have a higher risk of kinlessness
*
Long-term care insurance
Long-term care insurance (LTC or LTCI) is an insurance product, sold in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada that helps pay for the costs associated with long-term care. Long-term care insurance covers care generally not covered by health ...
– a strategy to pay for personal care
*
Kodokushi
or lonely death refers to a Japanese phenomenon of people dying alone and remaining undiscovered for a long period of time. The phenomenon was first described in the 1980s. Kodokushi has become an increasing problem in Japan, attributed to eco ...
– dying alone, without anyone discovering it for a long time
References
Family
Ageing