This 81-Year-Old Still Works at Home Depot to Support Herself and Her 90-Year-Old Husband

Have you ever met someone whose story feels like a mirror for everything we fear—and everything we hope for—in our own future? Lydia and Bill never set out to be symbols. They were just two people chasing love, building a life, and believing that someday, they’d rest. But life had other plans. What they’ve learned about survival, purpose, and love in the face of relentless odds might just make you rethink what it really means to “make it” in this world.

Lydia and Bill’s Story: Working Into Their 80s to Survive

Retirement, for some, is a finish line. For others, it’s a mirage — always just out of reach. However, Lydia and Bill Hinds fall into the second group. The numbers don’t add up, the bills don’t stop coming, and at 81 and 90 years old, they’re still calculating how to make it to the next month.

In an exclusive interview with Business Insider, Lydia tells that pulls on her Home Depot apron and steps into the aisles of the Berlin, Connecticut store. She wipes down appliances, greets customers, and offers help where she can. Her body, however, isn’t as willing as her spirit. A diagnosis of heart failure last year means climbing ladders and lifting heavy boxes are out of the question. Even walking the aisles leaves her breathless. One recent shift was supposed to be five hours. She lasted four.

“I feel trapped working, but I can’t stop working,” Lydia says, sinking into her red couch and reaching for her basset hound, Brigette, after returning home.

Bill, who once imagined himself stepping in to help, is sidelined by his own health problems. “I feel so guilty that I can’t work,” he says. “You can’t work because of your age and your health issues,” Lydia snaps back. “There’s no sense feeling guilty about it.”

Their finances tell the story. Between Social Security, Bill’s pension from his TV station days, and Lydia’s wages, they take in about $4,600 a month. Rent for their one-bedroom in a 55-plus complex eats $1,400 of that. Another $625 goes to the car payment, $236 to insurance, $426 to Medicare premiums. Groceries, gas, and utilities chip away at what’s left. A few weeks ago, their savings account balance was 44 cents.

Since joining Home Depot in 2022 at $16 an hour, Lydia has worked her way up to $19.55 and even earned two promotions. But promotions don’t always mean prosperity. Her hours sometimes drop from 22 to 17 a week, and the smaller paychecks make her worry about keeping their home. She has three job applications for remote customer service work printed and ready on the table.

“What company would hire an 81-year-old?” she asks. “Hopefully one of them.”

Lydia’s not alone. More than half a million Americans over the age of 80—about 4.2% of the Silent Generation—are still working, a rise from 3.6% a decade ago, according to Business Insider’s analysis of U.S. Census data.

“We do know that the 75-plus demographic is the fastest growing segment of the workforce,” says Carly Roszkowski, vice president of financial resilience at AARP.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics confirms the shift: Americans 75 and older are now twice as likely to be in the labor force compared to the early 1990s. For Lydia and Bill, that isn’t a statistic. It’s their reality—and for now, their only option.

The Bigger Picture: Health, Housing, and Hard Choices

What Lydia and Bill are experiencing is not unique—it’s part of a national shift reshaping what retirement looks like in America.

Housing costs are one of the largest pressures on older adults. Nationally, one-third of households aged 65 and older spend more than 30% of their income on housing—a threshold economists call “cost-burdened.” For seniors living alone in metro areas, only 13% can afford assisted living without tapping into their assets.

Medical expenses are another strain. Premiums, co-pays, prescriptions, and emergency care can quickly erode fixed incomes. According to the Social Security Administration, the average monthly benefit for retired workers is about $2,000—leaving little room for unexpected costs.

The work available to older Americans often comes with limitations. More than 90 workers aged 80 and older told Business Insider they face a mix of health challenges, rising living costs, and scarce job openings. Over a dozen said all they could find were minimum-wage positions.

Researcher Beth Truesdale of the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research describes a “shocking number of people” being pushed out of the labor force in their 50s and 60s—let alone their 70s and 80s—due to poor health, caregiving duties, or physically demanding roles. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows participation rates drop sharply after age 51 across all demographics.

Then there’s ageism. Many older jobseekers suspect their age keeps them from landing interviews or promotions, despite protections under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. “Managers are already thinking that 60 is too old, so there’s little hope for someone who is much older,” says Janine Vanderburg, founder of Changing the Narrative.

While programs like the Senior Community Service Employment Program provide training for low-income adults 55+, experts argue it’s not enough. They call for expanded tech skills education, stronger workplace advocacy, and state-level laws that strengthen age discrimination protections. Without such measures, the trend of working deep into one’s 80s will likely accelerate.

The Emotional and Relational Toll of Working Late in Life

Working into one’s 80s doesn’t only strain the body or the wallet — it frays connections, reshapes family dynamics, and can shrink one’s world. Lydia and Bill’s reality reflects this quiet erosion. Holiday tables that once hosted ten now seat only three. Lydia’s bond with her daughter has diminished, and while Bill’s family is still close, visits are fewer and further between.

That kind of isolation isn’t just lonely—it’s dangerous. Research shows that social isolation and loneliness significantly harm health in older adults: they raise the risk of dementia, heart disease, stroke, and early death, sometimes comparable to well-known risks like smoking or high blood pressure. It’s more than a fracture in social life—it can be a fracture in health.

Still, against that backdrop of loss and constraint, Lydia and Bill cling to moments of meaning. A spur-of-the-moment trip to Hartford. A concert by the shore. The faint sound of Bill’s piano in a nearly empty clubhouse. These small joys—quiet rebellions against a world that would measure them only by their survival—are what keep them alive in more than just years.

Turning Resilience Into a Daily Practice

The statistics are sobering. The realities are harsh. But within the stories of people like Lydia, there’s something worth holding onto—proof that persistence isn’t just about survival, it’s a skill that can be practiced and strengthened.

Resilience isn’t built in a single moment; it’s forged in the small choices we make every day. And no matter your age, the same principles that keep an 81-year-old clocking in for another shift can help you sharpen your focus and sustain your drive.

  • Anchor Yourself in Purpose: Lydia still enjoys her customers. Even when the work is exhausting, those conversations keep her showing up. Define the “why” behind what you’re working toward—write it down and revisit it when motivation fades.
  • Adapt Without Quitting: She can no longer climb ladders or lift heavy boxes, so she finds other ways to contribute at work and searches for roles she can do from home. A limitation isn’t the end—it’s a signal to shift strategy, not abandon the goal.
  • Build Progress in Small Steps: Lydia’s online gift shop began with a single idea and a small investment. Break your bigger ambitions into manageable tasks. Celebrate completing each one—it’s momentum, not perfection, that moves you forward.
  • Use Connection as Fuel: Whether it’s chatting with a coworker or listening to Bill play the piano, moments of connection recharge her spirit. Surround yourself with people and environments that inspire and support you. Even brief positive interactions can reset your focus.
  • Keep Learning, No Matter the Stage of Life: Lydia applies for remote jobs and navigates online business tools—proof that learning new skills isn’t limited by age. Commit to learning something every week, whether it’s a professional skill, a hobby, or a piece of knowledge that expands your perspective.

Resilience is not about pretending things are easy—it’s about moving forward when they’re not. If Lydia can keep showing up for her goals while carrying the weight of financial strain and a chronic illness, imagine what you can do with the resources and time you have right now.

What Their Story Asks of Us

Lydia and Bill’s life is not a tragedy. It’s a mirror. It shows us what happens when the systems we rely on crack, when time moves faster than our safety nets, and when the definition of “retirement” becomes a privilege rather than a promise.

But it also shows us something else: the stubborn beauty of choosing to keep going. Lydia’s heart may tire, her hours may shrink, but her will to show up—for her customers, for Bill, for herself—remains intact. Bill may not be able to clock in, but every note he plays for her is a kind of work too, the work of loving someone through the weight of years.

If you take anything from their story, let it be this: a life’s value is never defined solely by productivity. It’s measured in connection, in purpose, in the small rebellions we make against despair.

So check in on the older neighbor who still works the early shift. Call the relative you haven’t spoken to in months. Advocate for policies that make aging a season of choice, not survival. And when your own road feels long, remember Lydia and Bill—still here, still fighting, still finding ways to turn ordinary moments into something worth living for.