I am Yvonne and I set up AWOC Dorset with my husband Tad in October 2021. Following a move to Dorset sixteen years earlier, and at a time in our lives when we found everyone else (or so it seemed) having children, I found support... Continue reading

Existing support tends to assume that everyone has family or friends People who are ageing without children or other “next generation” family support are a significant and increasing proportion of the growing number of older people. Penny Shepherd explains why advance care planning materials need... Continue reading

Organisations must update their approach to emergency contact details, says Penny Shepherd of AWOC East Kent Whether on official forms or elsewhere, being asked for your “next of kin” is often problematic for AWOCs. “When people ask me to record my next of kin, I... Continue reading

Planning for later life is one of those things that everyone knows they should do but like other things we know we should do; eat more healthily, do more exercise, drive less, stop watching Question Time because it makes our blood pressure soar! it’s one... Continue reading

Ageing Without Children – One Simple General Election Ask . . . With the UK General Election in full swing, this is a timely opportunity to ask politicians to recognise the growing and important issue of ageing without children. The Longevity White Paper from the International Longevity... Continue reading

Has the time come to collect more official data on ageing without children? Mapping informal carers and their support needs has rightly become a key priority for health and social care in recent years. However, equivalent information about access to informal care, including where there... Continue reading