Life changes experienced by older adults

The importance of maintaining social connections as you age and move through transitions later in life.

What are life changes?

Aging is a lifelong process that brings many changes and transitions. As you become an older adult, you may face multiple transitions such as:

• retirement
• illness
• changes in vision and hearing
• loss of a driver’s licence
• loss of a spouse

How do you cope with life changes?

These transitions can be stressful and make you feel like you are losing your independence.

By staying socially connected, you can make adjustments with the help of others and reduce feelings of loneliness and depression.

You can get support from:

• family
• friends
• healthcare professionals
• community centres

There are always people you can reach out to and count on.

These testimonial videos and infographic show the importance of social connections as you become an older adult.

Canadian Guidelines for Anxiety in Older Adults - Key takeaways for older adults (PDF, 352 KB)

When is worry too much? When it stops you from doing what you love. (PDF, 1.04 MB)