Home / Aging / Older Farmers and Solo Work

Older Farmers and Solo Work

Many older farmers work alone for much of the day. A simple plan can mean the difference between a quick rescue and a long wait.

Why does solo work carry extra risk?

When you work alone, nobody sees a fall, a medical event or a machine problem. Help arrives only if someone knows to look. The longer the delay, the more serious the outcome can be. That is true at any age, but older farmers may face more health and recovery challenges.

Solo work is not wrong. Many farms depend on it. The point is to build safeguards so that a bad moment does not become a worse one.

Solo work also includes quiet times of day, such as early morning or after dark, when fewer people are nearby to notice problems. Plan with those hours in mind.

• No witness if something happens
• Delays make injuries more serious
• Planning reduces the delay

What does a check-in plan look like?

Agree on times to check in with a family member, neighbor or friend, by phone or in person. Decide what happens if you do not respond: who calls, who drives out, and when they call 911. Put the plan in writing and share it.

Make the plan realistic. A check-in that you forget twice a week is not a plan. Choose times tied to routines such as breakfast, noon and supper.

Test the plan once. Have someone skip a check-in on purpose and see how long it takes to respond. Adjust whatever slows it down.

• Set specific times
• Agree on what happens after a missed check-in
• Write it down for everyone involved

How do you share your location and schedule?

Tell someone which field or building you are working in and what you are doing. A whiteboard in the kitchen can show where you are headed and when you expect to return. If you work across several properties, label them in a way that a stranger could follow.

Give your local emergency dispatch center helpful information: access roads, gates, field names and landmarks. Your county emergency management office can explain how to share this.

• Use a whiteboard or shared note
• Label fields and entrances clearly
• Share access details with dispatch

What tools help with solo work?

A charged phone carried on your body is the baseline. Wearable alert devices, radios and apps that share location can add layers, but each has limits in remote areas. Test them where you work, and do not assume they will function everywhere.

For details about devices and coverage, consult manufacturers and reputable safety organizations. Avoid relying on one tool alone.

Check the batteries and signal strength on any device at the start of each season. Replace worn straps, cases or chargers before they fail in the field.

• Carry a phone on your person
• Consider a wearable or radio backup
• Test tools in the places you actually work

Which tasks should not be done alone?

Some jobs carry hazards that make solo work especially risky: work in grain bins or other confined spaces, work near powered equipment that could entangle, work at height, tree work and handling large or unpredictable animals. Do not improvise on these. Follow guidance from OSHA, NIOSH and recognized hands-on training providers.

If a task is risky, wait for a second person, hire help or find another method. Time saved is never worth a life.

If you are unsure whether a task is safe to do alone, treat that as your answer and wait for help. Training from NIOSH-supported programs or your extension office can help you sort the jobs.

• Do not enter confined spaces alone
• Do not work on or near running machinery alone
• Ask for help with high-risk tasks

How can family respect independence and still help?

Talk about it as part of the farm plan rather than a judgment of ability. Ask what would help the farmer feel safe, and let them lead as much as possible. Agree on a plan together and revisit it each season.

If you are the older farmer, remember that a plan protects the people who love you from the worst kind of worry.

• Plan together
• Revisit the plan each season
• Keep conversations calm and respectful

What if you live alone with no one nearby?

Isolation changes the plan, not the need for one. Consider a regular call from a friend, a church or community contact, a retired neighbor or an area agency on aging program that offers check-in calls. Ask your county extension office or health department what exists near you.

If a daily contact is hard to arrange, choose the most dangerous tasks and reserve them for times when another person is present. Even a few such rules reduce the risk.

• Ask about community check-in programs
• Reserve high-risk tasks for when others are present
• Build a small circle of reliable contacts

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Farm Safety Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.