Why Seniors Need Some Risk in Their Lives

Joel Theisen caught my attention recently by writing that, in order to truly thrive, older adults “need to move beyond the well-planned life to add something unexpected: personal risk.”

I’m with Joel on this. To me, adding (or maintaining) an element of risk in our later years is about a vital feeling of personal agency.

With agency, older adults are more motivated to tackle challenges, and more likely to find meaning in each day, thinking, “Hey, I can still do things.”

To many, unfortunately, risk and old age don’t go together. Even the senior care field, with the best of intentions, tends to guard older adults from risk. Instead, we promise a life of ease, where absolutely everything is taken care of for you.

As Joel writes in his piece:

“We’ve become so preoccupied with surplus safety at all times for seniors that we have stripped away too many of the surprises and unexpected twists that make life worth living.”

Joel — the CEO of Lifespark — writes about the benefits of challenges and games for older adults. He sees some trying to set personal records on their fitness trackers. Others compete in Lifespark’s team competitions: the TRY-athlon Tournament, the Grip Games and the Spark Challenge.

Participants in activities like these court risks — such as falling while racing down the hallway with a walker. It’s natural to worry about downsides like that.

But we must acknowledge that the downsides of not taking risks are significant:

➡️ It deprives older adults of the sense of purpose, belonging and connection that a more active (and risky) life offers.

➡️ It leads to loneliness and a loss of physical strength.

➡️ It reinforces learned dependency — a state where older adults increasingly rely on others to do things for them, including taking responsibility for their health.

➡️ At its worst, a risk-free life infantilizes the “safe” older adult.

All of this stands in opposition to what an older adult needs to enjoy healthy longevity.

The better alternative is encouraging a sense of self-control and self-determination. Adding (reasonable) risks to life is a great way to accomplish that goal.

When older adults take on challenges and risks, they tell themselves, “Wow, I’m doing something significant. I’m making a difference.”

When they lose that sense — when risk is eradicated from their lives — they instead ask themselves a troubling question: “Why keep going?”