True or false? Dreading death is a common preoccupation among older adults.

a) True. As they see their friends die, older adults increasingly fear death.
b) False. Fear of death is not typical for this age group.

A dread of death is not typical for healthy older adults. In fact, some studies have shown that older adults think about death less frequently than middle-aged or young adults. When it does occur in older people, it is usually related to depression or other mental problems.