Adaptation to transition in late adulthood: implications for health education

Older individuals experience many situational changes associated with aging. Perhaps the most pervasive of these in their effects on lifestyle are relocation, retirement and widowhood. An examination of existing literatures on these three major life events is used to identify common contextual factors which influence adaptation to these transitions. These include predictability of the event, control and social supports. A number of health education interventions targeted to those individuals who are most likely to experience these transitions and who are greatest at risk of negative outcomes are suggested.