Liza Horvath, a local bank trust officer, wrote a column for the Monterey Herald July 19 called "When Seniors Live Alone" which focused on the difficulty seniors find living alone after a partner or spouse has passed away.
The isolation these seniors feel is unbelievable, and many senior's retract further from friends and family after a loved one passes on as they are so depressed, they don't want to deal with the outside world. This can lead to a deterioration in their health, as being engaged with others keeps the mind active and getting out more will improve their health as they get more exercise.
I believe that having a healthy body and mind is important to longevity. This is one of the reasons I founded my company, Family inHome Caregiving, to help senior's remain independent in their own homes. This includes taking them on walks, to the shopping mall, senior centers, and anywhere else where they can be actively engaged with others.

There are other things that can make for a safer living environment, and allow a senior to remain in their home longer. The Herald article talked about various things which can help, such as the Lifeline Services offered through the Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital (SVMH) League, a medical alert service which calls for help at the push of a button. This could be a lifesaver for someone living alone that has a fall, stroke, heart attack or other debilitating issue which, if left untreated, can become terminal.
Another helpful service is Tele-Care (offered by both Community Hospital of Monterey Peninsula (CHOMP) and SVMH. It provides a daily telephone call from one of the service's volunteers to make sure someone is OK (although it's only offered for those widowed or convalescing from an illness).
After finding that many caregiving services on the Monterey Peninsula require a four hour minimum--something many people can't afford--I recently started a pop-in service where I send someone to the senior's home, make sure they have a hot meal, a bath and that they take their medicine. For those that can afford more hours, we like to focus on taking them out so they can exercise both the body and the mind. With people living longer each year, it's important to me that senior's spend their final years happy and healthy.

[http://www.montereyherald.com/seniors/ci_15549309?nclick_check=1]