Will We Still Be Relevant When We’re 64?

Will We Still Be Relevant When We’re 64?
Having purpose in life can make all the difference in quality of life for the elderly, according to the book “Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End” by Atul Gawande. XiXinXing/iStock
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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.