ABSTRACT
The transition from marriage to widowhood is one that is broadly expected after the age of fifty, the more so for women in the higher age brackets. Additionally, more and more people are confronted with divorce after fifty years of age; the percentages are still low, but are rising (Cooney, 1993; National Institute of Statistics Belgium, 2000; United Nations, 2001). Given the increasing reluctance, all over the Western world, voluntarily to embark on co-residence with adult children (and grandchildren), these phenomena together result in increasing numbers of older adults living in one-person households. The majority of older people living alone are women (United Nations, 2000). Many older widows, widowers, and divorcees are still healthy and face a future that is characterized by an ever-increasing life expectancy. What are the options open to them, to guarantee a future that will be characterized by well-being? In this article I am particularly interested in investigating repartnering as one of the pathways older people can take to alleviate social isolation and loneliness. Is repartnering a helpful life-strategy in actively coping with the challenges of later life?
