38M Americans who live alone need a buddy system

kAmy@9? H2D 2 ea\J62C\@=5 5:G@C465 5@4E@C] pE 2 DAC:?8 A2CEJ E96 52J 367@C6 9:D 562E9[ 96 >6?E:@?65 E@ D@>6 7C:6?5D E92E 96 925?VE 366? 766=:?8 BF:E6 C:89E — D@>6 5:KK:?6DD[ D@>6 7@C86E7F=?6DD] ~?6 7C:6?5 2D<65 :7 96 925 D66? 2 5@4E@C[ 2?5 9:D 2?DH6C H2D[ Q*6D] |JD6=7]Qk^Am

kAmp7E6C 2 49F4<=6[ D@>6@?6 2D<65 H92E E96 5@4E@CVD 5:28?@D:D 925 366?] y@9? ;@<65 E92E 96V5 366? AC6D4C:365 2 8@@5 ?:89EVD D=66A] &=E:>2E6=J[ y@9? H6?E 2?5 =2J 5@H? :? 2 8F6DE C@@> 7@C 92=7 @7 E96 A2CEJ[ 5C@G6 9@>6 2?5 5:65 H:E9:? E96 ?6IE `a 9@FCD 7C@> 2 3C2:? 2?6FCJD>]k^Am

kAmp== DF556? 562E9D 2C6 D9@4<:?8] qFE E96 E9:?8 E92E >2<6D y@9?VD 562E9 2? 6G6? 8C62E6C EC2865J :D E92E 96 =2J :? 9:D 365 7@C E9C66 52JD 367@C6 2?J@?6 7@F?5 9:>] y@9? H2D?VE 2 =@?6C] w6 925 2 8C62E 8C@FA @7 7C:6?5D[ >6? 2?5 H@>6?[ H9@ D@4:2=:K65 E@86E96C C68F=2C=J] (6 925 4@@<@FED[ }6H *62CVD tG6 A2CE:6D[ 6?;@J65 @FE:?8D E@ ?:46 C6DE2FC2?ED]k^Am

kAm%96 8C@FA 6G6? 925 2 ?2>6i %96 (2??236 %C2:?HC64<D[ @7 H9:49 y@9? H2D E96 >@DE :?DECF>6?E2= >6>36C — 2?5 96 DE:== =2J 5625 :? 9:D 365 7@C E9C66 52JD F?E:= 2?J@?6 7@F?5 9:>]k^Am

kAmx E@@ =:G6 2=@?6[ 2?5 x C62=:K65 E92E H92E 92AA6?65 E@ y@9? 4@F=5 ;FDE 2D 62D:=J 92AA6? E@ >6[ 2 5:G@C465 6>AEJ ?6DE6C :? y@9?D@? r:EJ[ %6??6DD66] xV5 H286C E92E y@9?VD D25 6?5 4@F=5 92AA6? E@ >2?J @7 FD] p44@C5:?8 E@ E96 >@DE C646?E &]$] r6?DFD[ >@C6 E92? bg >:==:@? p>6C:42?D 2C6 @? E96:C @H? 2E 9@>6[ 2 ?F>36C E92E 92D EC:A=65 D:?46 `hc_]k^Am

kAmx 2> 2 D@4:2= A6CD@?] x 2EE6?5 A=2JD[ 8@ @FE E@ 62E[ 8C23 2 366C 2?5 E2<6 C68F=2C H2=<D H:E9 7C:6?5D] x DA6?5 E:>6 H:E9 >J 6=56C=J A2C6?ED 2?5 4@>>F?:42E6 H:E9 E96> 2 76H E:>6D 2 H66<] $@ 5@?VE E9:?< E92E ;FDE 3642FD6 x =:G6 2=@?6 xV> D:EE:?8 :? :D@=2E:@? H96? x 4@>6 9@>6 7C@> E6249:?8] %92EVD ?@E E96 42D6 7@C >6[ 2?5 :E H2D?VE 7@C y@9?[ 6:E96C]k^Am

kAm%96C6:? =:6D E96 AC@3=6>]k^Am

kAmw@H >2?J A6@A=6 H9@ =:G6 2=@?6 5@ ?@E 92G6 2 C6=2E:@?D9:A H:E9 2?@E96C A6CD@? E96J E2=< H:E9 6G6CJ 52Jn y@9? 5:5?VE 92G6 DF49 2 C6=2E:@?D9:A[ 2?5 x 5@?VE 6:E96C] xE H@F=5 36 :? E96 36DE :?E6C6DE @7 6G6CJ@?6 H9@ =:G6D 2=@?6 E@ 56G6=@A 2? 28C66>6?E H:E9 D@>6@?6 E96J 42? 4964< :? H:E9 6G6CJ 52J[ ?@ >2EE6C H92E] %92E AC@323=J 766=D >@C6 =:<6 2 7C:6?5=J 86DEFC6[ 3FE E9:D 52:=J 4@?E24E 4@F=5 36 E96 5:776C6?46 :? H96E96C 2 A6CD@? =:G6D @C 5:6D]k^Am

kAmx H2D 5:D4FDD:?8 E9:D E@A:4 H:E9 >J 6:89E9\8C256 DEF56?ED E96 @E96C 52J[ 2?5 2 3@J :? 4=2DD E@=5 FD 2 DE@CJ 96V5 962C5 23@FE 2 >2? @C56C:?8 2 A:KK2 7C@> 2 =@42= D9@A 6G6CJ 52J] q642FD6 E9:D 4@>>F?:42E:@? H2D D@ C@FE:?6[ @?6 52J H96? E92E >2? 5:5?VE 42== :? 9:D @C56C @C 2?DH6C 9:D A9@?6[ E96 DE@C6 >2?286C 5C@G6 E@ E96 >2?VD 9@>6 2?5 7@F?5 E92E E96 86?E=6>2? 925 DF776C65 2 962CE 2EE24<] xC@?:42==J[ E96 F?962=E9J 52:=J A:KK2 @C56CD 4C62E65 DF49 2 C@FE:?6 E92E E96J 6?565 FA D2G:?8 9:D =:76]k^Am

kAm|@DE @7 FD =:G6 @FC =:G6D 2D E9@F89 ?@E9:?8 42? 8@ HC@?8[ H9:49 :D 2 42G2=:6C 2EE:EF56 2E 36DE] x 5@?VE H2?E H92E 92AA6?65 E@ y@9? E@ 92AA6? E@ >6] %96 E9@F89E @7 =J:?8 2=@?6 96=A=6DD[ D:4<[ :?;FC65 @C 6G6? 5625 7@C 52JD 367@C6 2?J@?6 E2<6D ?@E:46 :D 9@CC:3=6]k^Am

kAmp7E6C 42C67F==J 4@?D:56C:?8 2== @7 >J C6=2E:@?D9:AD[ x 2CC2?865 2 52:=J 4@?E24E H:E9 >J =:76=@?8 7C:6?5 $@?;2] $96 :D 2 =@J2= 2?5 ECFDE65 A6CD@?] (6 28C665 @? 2 BF:4< 52:=J 4964< :? E@ 4@?7:C> @FC H6==?6DD] x7 H6 92G6 E:>6[ H6V== 492E 7@C 2 76H >:?FE6D 23@FE @FC <:5D[ D@>6 ?6H C6DE2FC2?E @C 2 4@D>6E:4 E92E H:A6D 2H2J E96 J62CD] x7 E:>6 :D D9@CE[ H6 42? C6DA@?5 H:E9 2D =:EE=6 2D 2? 6>@;: 2?5 C6DE 62DJ <?@H:?8 E96 @E96C :D 2=:G6 2?5 H6==] x7 2 5@F3=6 E6IE DE:== J:6=5D ?@ C6DA@?D6 H:E9:? 2 92=7\9@FC[ H6 H@F=5 :?G6DE:82E6 7FCE96C] xEVD 2? 62DJ 28C66>6?E E92E AC@G:56 4@>7@CE 2?5 A6246 @7 >:?5]k^Am

kAm%9@F89 x =:G6 2=@?6[ x <?@H D@>6@?6VD 8@E >J 324<[ 2?5 x 5@?VE E2<6 E92E 7@C 8C2?E65]k^Am

kAmt5>:DE6? :D 2 >:55=6 D49@@= E62496C 7C@> y@9?D@? r:EJ[ %6??6DD66] $96 HC@E6 E9:D 7@C %96 {@D p?86=6D %:>6D]k^Am