> all of us, eventually, will become the old, sick, boring option.

And? As the french say: the young congregate in groups, older people in couples, and the elderly are solitary.

> ... high trust communities in which people felt safe leaving their doors unlocked and people really did look out for one another.

False dichotomy: you can have this and have small independent households (and have a high GNP). It just takes a culture (as opposed to Ms Perry's?) where people are, generally, considerate.

(If Ms Perry fears being lonely, I would suggest that avoiding making unsolicited comments about other peoples' life choices often makes one better company.)