Living Apart Together Is a New Option for Older Adults

Living apart together (LAT) is a relationship among older couples that is starting to draw interest from researchers, with a 2005 survey by the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project noting 7 percent of individuals between 57 and 85 years old described themselves as being in a LAT situation, reports Kaiser Health News . Meanwhile, a more recent analysis of about 7,700 Wisconsin adults age 50 and older surveyed found married couples made up 71.5 percent of that group, singles accounted for 20.5 percent, and people who were "partnered but unmarried" comprised 8 percent. Thirty-nine percent in the third cohort were in LAT relationships, versus 31 percent who were dating and 30 percent who were cohabiting. "Older adults really see LAT as a lifestyle choice, not a relationship of convenience," says University of Missouri Professor Jacquelyn Benson. Her 2016 study published in Family Relations of 25 older adults in LAT relationships found various drivers, including desire for "intimate companionship" while maintaining their own homes, social circles, customary activities, and finances. Divorcees or people in unhappy earlier marriages did not want to tie themselves down again and preferred a degree of distance to day-to-day companionship. Furthermore, several women who were previously caregivers for sick parents or husbands wanted to avoid such responsibilities again.