Loneliness in later life

Later life often brings big changes. Work ends, friends move or pass away, hearing fades, and the car keys may go back in the drawer. Each change can quietly shrink the circle of people you see. Over time, that can leave you feeling lonely, even if you never planned it.

Loneliness is not a weakness, and it is not a normal part of aging that you just have to accept. This page explains the life changes that most often lead to loneliness after 60, and what tends to help with each one.

Loneliness and isolation are different

Loneliness is a feeling. It is the gap between the closeness you want and the closeness you have. Social isolation means having few people around you or little regular contact.¹

You can live alone and feel fine. You can also feel lonely in a full house or a busy retirement community. Both loneliness and isolation matter for health, so this page covers both.

The Surgeon General's 2023 report found that older adults have some of the highest rates of isolation.¹ Interestingly, a large national poll found that people aged 50 to 64 felt lonely more often than people aged 65 to 80.⁴ So loneliness is not only about age. It is about what is happening in your life.

Retirement

Work gives many people a reason to get up, a daily routine and a built-in group of people. When work ends, those things can end too.

Retirement does not make everyone lonely. A 2026 study that followed Australian adults for about 20 years found that, on average, retiring did not raise or lower loneliness.¹¹ What seems to matter more is whether you replace what work used to give you.

The picture is different when people stop working because of illness or disability. In the 2024 national poll, about half of adults aged 50 to 80 who were not working for those reasons felt lonely. People who were working or retired had much lower rates.⁴

Losing a husband or wife

When a spouse dies, you lose your closest daily companion. You may also lose the friends you saw as a couple, and the person who kept up the social calendar.

A U.S. study of nearly 5,900 married adults over 50 found that people who were widowed were lonelier than those who stayed married. But widowed people who started volunteering at least 2 hours a week had loneliness levels close to married volunteers.¹⁰ This kind of study cannot prove cause, but it suggests that giving time to others may ease loneliness after loss.

Grief and loneliness often mix together. Give yourself time. If heavy grief does not ease after many months, talk with your doctor. Read more in Losing a husband or wife and Prolonged grief disorder.

Hearing loss

Hearing loss is one of the most common, and most fixable, causes of isolation. About 22% of adults aged 65 to 74 have hearing loss strong enough to cause problems. By age 75 and older, it is more than half (55%).⁶

When you cannot follow a conversation, you may nod along, stop going to restaurants, or skip family gatherings. Bit by bit, the world gets smaller. Experts list sensory problems like hearing loss as a main risk for isolation in later life.³

Yet fewer than 1 in 3 adults aged 70 and older who could benefit from hearing aids have ever used them.⁶

• Over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids are sold in stores and online without an exam or prescription. They are for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss.⁷
• See a doctor first if you have ear pain, fluid from the ear, sudden hearing change, dizziness, or hearing loss in only one ear.⁷
• Original Medicare does not pay for hearing aids or the exams to fit them. Some Medicare Advantage plans offer hearing benefits, so check with your plan.⁸

See Hearing loss, loneliness and the brain and Hearing, vision and brain health.

Giving up driving

In much of the U.S., the car is how people get to church, the store, the doctor and friends. Stopping driving can feel like losing your freedom overnight.

A review of 16 studies of drivers aged 55 and older found that people who stopped driving had almost twice the risk of worsening depression symptoms. One long study found their circle of friends and relatives shrank by about half over 13 years.⁹ Stopping driving is sometimes the right and safe choice. The point is to plan for what comes next, so that life does not shrink with it.

1. Talk about driving early, before a crisis forces the decision.
2. List the trips that matter most each week: groceries, worship, visits, medical care.
3. Find a way to make each trip without driving yourself. Think of family, neighbors, friends from church, buses, ride services, or volunteer driver programs.
4. Call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 to reach your local Area Agency on Aging. It can tell you about services for older adults where you live.¹⁴
5. Keep at least one standing outing each week, such as a lunch, a class or a service.

If memory problems are part of the reason, see Driving and dementia.

Living alone

Nearly 3 in 10 adults aged 65 and older lived alone in 2022. Among women 75 and older, it was about 43%.⁵

Living alone is a known risk factor for isolation.^2,3 But it does not have to mean loneliness. In the 2024 national poll, older adults who lived alone actually reported lower loneliness than those who lived with others.⁴ Many people enjoy their own space.

What matters is regular contact. If you live alone, think about:

• A daily check-in call or text with a family member or friend.
• One or two places where people expect to see you each week.
• A neighbor who has your phone number and a spare key.

Immigrants and people far from their first home

Older immigrants can face extra hurdles. Some moved late in life to join grown children and left their whole social world behind.¹² Others have lived here for decades but feel more cut off as friends age and children get busy.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists immigrants and people with language barriers among those at higher risk of isolation.² A 2025 review of 76 studies found several reasons older immigrants and ethnic minority elders may be lonely:¹²

• Language. Not speaking English well can make it hard to talk with neighbors, doctors or even grandchildren.
• A broken circle. Old friends and relatives are far away or gone.
• Adjusting to a new culture, with different customs and ways of doing things.
• Unfair treatment or feeling like an outsider.

The same review suggests what helps: programs in your own language, staff who share your culture, group activities tied to your heritage, and practical help with rides and costs.¹² Faith communities and cultural centers can fill this role too. When you see a doctor, ask whether an interpreter is available.

Other things that add up

Loneliness rarely has just one cause. These often pile on top of each other:

• Poor health. In 2024, about half of adults aged 50 to 80 in fair or poor physical health felt lonely. For those in fair or poor mental health, it was 3 in 4.⁴ See Chronic pain and mood.
• Caregiving. Caring for a spouse or parent can leave little time for anyone else.¹³ See Caregiver burnout.
• Money worries and no reliable transportation.^13,2
• Fear of falling, which keeps some people home. See Fear of falling.
• Moving to a new home, a smaller place or a care community. See Moving, downsizing and leaving a home.

Why it matters for your health

Long-lasting loneliness and isolation are not just sad. In older adults, they are linked to about a 50% higher risk of dementia, and to higher risk of depression, anxiety and high blood pressure.¹ Learn more on How loneliness affects health.

Loneliness and depression can look alike. Both can bring low energy, poor sleep and pulling away from people. If you have felt down or lost interest in things for two weeks or more, read Depression in later life or try our check-in.

What helps

Small, regular contact does more than one big visit. Some ideas:

For a fuller list, see Ways to feel more connected. If you are worried about a parent or friend, see Helping someone who is isolated.

When to get help

Talk with your doctor if loneliness lasts for weeks, or if it comes with low mood, poor sleep, weight change or loss of interest. Your doctor can check for depression, hearing loss and medicine side effects. Medicare Part B covers one depression screening a year at your primary care office.¹⁶ See What Medicare covers for mental health.

Is it normal to feel lonely as you get older?

It is common, but it is not something you have to live with. Many causes, like hearing loss or losing your ride, can be fixed or worked around.

I live alone and like it. Should I worry?

Not if you have regular contact you enjoy. Living alone is only a concern when it comes with too little contact or with feeling lonely.

My parent says they are fine, but they rarely leave the house. What can I do?

Start by asking gently about hearing, rides, health and mood. Practical problems often sit behind isolation. See Helping someone who is isolated.

Education only. This page is general information written from the sources listed. It is not medical, legal or financial advice and does not replace a doctor, therapist or lawyer who knows your situation. How we write and check pages.