Late adulthood is often mistakenly viewed as a time of relaxation, where everything slows and an individual's life becomes
more consistent and less stressful. In reality, late adulthood is a time of great change. Individuals retire, children move away, lifestyles alter
significantly and social ties decline. This paper shows that, most significantly, a person's
relationships change significantly in late adulthood. This includes relationships with siblings, spouses, friends, children and grandchildren. By considering these relationships and how they change, this paper shows that late adulthood is far from being a time of reduced stress. It may become a time of reduced stress if the individual makes the transition successfully, but the actual process of transition involves many significant changes.