New York, May 16 (IANS): With the number of childless and unmarried people increasing in the US, nearly one-quarter of Americans over the age of 65 are currently or at risk to become "elder orphans," a vulnerable group requiring greater support, says a new study.

Elder orphans are so called because they are ageing alone and unsupported, with no known family member or designated surrogate to act on their behalf, the researchers noted.

"This group is vulnerable to a wide range of negative outcomes that include functional decline, mental health issues and premature death," said senior author of the research Maria Torroella Carney, chief of geriatric and palliative medicine at North Shore-LIJ Health System in the US.

The findings are based on a case study and available literature review.

US census data from 2012 showed that about one-third of people aged 45 to 63 are single, a 50 percent increase from 1980, nearly 19 percent of women aged 40 to 44 have no children, as compared to 10 percent in 1980.

"Our goal is to highlight that this is a vulnerable population that is likely to increase, and we need to determine what community, social services, emergency response and educational resources can help them," Carney pointed out.

The findings are scheduled to be presented at The American Geriatrics Society's 2015 annual scientific meeting in Washington, DC.