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Why are more older couples living apart?

"Living Apart Together" has become a huge new trend among older generations.

Most couples can't wait to live together. It's considered a societal "norm" that after a certain amount of time, you decide to commit and live together - maybe marriage, maybe not. However, a new trend especially in the older generation, called "Living Apart Together (LAT) has taken over many cities.

University of Manitoba professor, Laura Funk, has written extensively about this new life choice and the effects it could have on the idea of a family-unit. Questions like "will children from previous marriages accept them? What will happen if one partner becomes seriously ill and needs caregiving?" have risen from her studies. According to a 2005 survey by the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, 7% of individuals between 57 and 85 years old described themselves as living apart together.

Many in that age gap say they like the idea of having someone around, romantically or just for personal connection, but value their freedom too much to be tied down. Many who consider themselves in "LAT" relationships cited bad previous marriages or deceased partners as the reason they weren't looking to "settle down."

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