Click here to listen to The Beatles song, “When I’m Sixty-four” while you read this article.

by Sharon Jayson

“A gnawing sense of irrelevancy and invisibility suddenly hits many aging adults, as their life roles shift from hands-on parent to empty nester or from workaholic to retiree. Self-worth and identity may suffer as that feeling that you matter starts to fade. Older adults see it in the workplace when younger colleagues seem uninterested in their feedback. Those who just retired might feel a bit unproductive.

New research suggests this perception of becoming irrelevant is very real. And that’s why some seniors are determined to stay social, remain relevant and avert the loneliness often linked with aging.

“As people get older, there are fewer and fewer opportunities to feel like they make a difference and matter … ”

Click here to read this Kaiser Health News article in its entirety.