A reliable contact can make independence feel more secure without making it smaller.

Independence often gets defended as though any help at all would dissolve it. The worry is understandable, since accepting one arrangement can invite a conversation about whether you should still be living this way. A single dependable person to call does the opposite of shrinking a life. It widens what you are willing to attempt, because the cost of something going wrong is no longer total.

Set up one such contact while nothing is urgent, and be specific about what it covers. A neighbor with a key, or a friend who answers late, is a small arrangement that buys a great deal of room.