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What happens when someone faces ageing, illness, or end-of-life without close family or friends to support them?

As Australia’s population ages, a growing number of people are navigating important life decisions largely on their own. Some identify as “solo agers” or “solo persons” and may not have family members or trusted friends available to help with future planning, healthcare decisions, or practical matters after death.

To better understand these experiences, researchers from COTA (Council on the Ageing) and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) are inviting people to share their stories.

The project is seeking input from people who:

• Have experience planning for the future without close family or friends.
• Have been affected by the death of a “solo person”.
• Have supported someone who was facing end-of-life without a strong personal support network.

The insights gathered will help researchers develop practical resources and guidance to support people navigating end-of-life planning, advance care planning, legal matters, and decision-making when family support may be limited or unavailable.

Why This Matters

Planning ahead is an important part of ensuring a person’s wishes are known and respected. For those without close family or friends, the process can be especially complex.

Questions around appointing a substitute decision-maker, documenting healthcare preferences, arranging finances, managing legal affairs, and planning for after death can be difficult to navigate alone. Understanding the real-life challenges and experiences of solo agers will help shape resources that are more accessible, relevant, and supportive.

By sharing their experiences, participants will contribute to improving future support for others who may face similar circumstances.

Get Involved

If you have lived experience of planning for the future without close family or friends, or if you have been affected by the death of a solo person, the research team would like to hear from you.

For more information or to express your interest in participating, contact:

• Maria Katsabanis (COTA): mkatsabanis@cota.org.au
• Dr Olivia Rawlings-Way (UTS): olivia.rawlings-way@uts.edu.au
• Professor Nola Ries (UTS): nola.ries@uts.edu.au

Download Flyers to spread the information:

Click here if you have you been affected by the death of a ‘solo person’, or here if you have experience planning for the future without close family or friends