Living Apart Together: Separate homes, same companionship, is this a new path to happiness for couples over 60?

A study reveals that older couples benefit from living separately while maintaining their relationship, a dynamic known as Living Apart Together (LAT).

A new type of relationship dynamic has propped up in the recent years. It is known as Living Apart Together, also referred to as LAT. This involves a couple being in a relationship but staying in different residences. This is similar to the setup that couples follow when they are not married yet and choose to live physically apart.

However, according to a new study led by the University of Lancaster (United Kingdom) in collaboration with University College London, the living dynamics have proven to be beneficial for couples above the age of 60. The study states that the key to happiness for elderly couples is to live in separate residences.

In a statement, the British University stated that while leaving a marriage can cause decline in mental health, living in separate residences and yet enjoying the companionship of a marriage can actually benefit people above the age of 60.

LAT can help couples above 60 find happiness. (Pexels)

How LAT can help elderly couples?

The study demonstrated that leaving a marriage or a cohabitation can affect mental health of people severely. However, when people choose to stay in separate residences, they are not compelled to spend their entire time with each other, but choose to stay in a long and lasting relationship by choice. This provides more meaning to the relationship.

Yang Hu, a professor at Lancaster University and co-author of the study with Rory Coulter from University College London, said, “It is time we saw and recognised the power of intimate, often invisible, connections beyond the home to sustain the wellbeing of older adults.”

Often staying under the same roof with the partner is a social imposition and not decided based on the independence. Hence, living apart together can help in achieving a more sincere relationship, based on choices and intimacy. It is also observed to cause lesser decline in mental health than observed in estranged couples who leave a marriage.