Resilience in Later Life Is Built, Not Fixed — Research Supports This

Full analysis

Elaine Miller-Karas, a social worker and trauma therapist, recounts walking the Camino de Santiago at 74, falling on the first day, and completing the 109-kilometer pilgrimage with the help of strangers and her son. Her account draws on multiple recent systematic reviews — including a 2024 meta-analysis in Acta Psychologica — finding that resilience is not a trait people either have or lack, but a dynamic capacity to adapt, recover, and grow that continues throughout life. The research also challenges the assumption that psychological well-being inevitably declines with age; many older adults maintain strong emotional regulation and develop more selective, meaningful relationships as they become more aware of finite time.

Miller-Karas makes a practical distinction: resilience does not mean performing feats suited to younger people, and it does not mean fierce independence. Social connection — knowing when to accept help — is one of its core components. The actionable point for readers is to resist deciding what is possible for an older person (including yourself) based on visible markers like a slower gait or a disability, and instead to ask what is actually possible given that specific person's current condition, interests, and circumstances.