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Preparing for a Long Life Starts Today

AARP

Published August 21, 2026

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Most of us think about preparing for retirement in terms of saving enough. But with people on average living into their 80s, it’s important to think more broadly. Living well as we age also means staying connected, maintaining a sense of purpose, preparing for future caregiving needs, and thinking ahead about where and how we want to live.

Read on to learn about how you can take small steps now to ensure that you can thrive in the future – and how AARP can help.

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The suggestions below, inspired by the MIT AgeLab's Longevity Preparedness Index, offer ideas for what it takes to live longer, better.

Social Connection

Strong social connections and meaningful activities are key ingredients for healthy aging. How can you build and maintain them?

Develop relationships outside of immediate family.
Foster relationships outside of the workplace.
Make friends who are younger than you are.
Find activities outside the home.

Explore local AARP events and AARP New Hampshire activities, join AARP Virtual Community Groups, consider volunteering, and learn how to build meaningful connections that can strengthen your support network and enrich daily life.

Activities: How will you fill your days?

If work has been structuring your life, you could end up feeling lost when you transition to retirement. It’s important to give shape and meaning to your life.

Ask people for advice about how to make the transition.
Identify your core values and anchor each day in what matters most to you.
Maintain a structured schedule.
Learn something new.

Check out AARP’s Virtual Community Center for fun, educational, and engaging activities, see what you can learn and do from Senior Planet, take a class, pursue a hobby, volunteer, or find other ways to keep yourself busy.

Caregiving: Have You Planned for Support?

Planning ahead for caregiving needs can reduce stress for both you and your loved ones. Conversations about what to do when someone’s capacity diminishes are uncomfortable, but they need to happen.

Assemble information about your medical providers, medication, financial information, housing payments, and other accounts.
Explore options for transportation if or when it’s no longer safe to drive.
Ensure that you’ve created legal documents such as wills, advance directives, health care proxies, and powers of attorney.

Explore AARP's caregiving tools and resources to help navigate the caregiving journey, download the Prepare to Care Guides, and learn about important legal and financial planning documents before they are needed.

Home: Where Will You Live?

As we age, our housing needs often change. It’s important to think ahead rather than needing to act quickly when a crisis occurs.

Determine if your home would meet your needs if you were to develop a mobility impairment.
Identify ways to modify your home to enhance safety.
Research people who could help with home maintenance.
Research home technology that can help you live independently for longer.

The AARP HomeFit Guide offers practical ideas for making a home safer and more comfortable for people of all ages, while information on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) can help individuals and families explore housing options that support aging in place and caregiving. Also check out home technology options that can help you or a loved one stay safe at home.

Financial Security

While preparing for a long life involves more than finances, financial security remains an important part of the equation. AARP offers personal finance tools and resources, practical advice on making the most of your money, and information to help protect yourself from fraud and scams that can threaten your financial well-being.

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