A sense of purpose helps us to lead a longer, more flourishing, and healthier life, yet research has found that it largely declines with age. Ageism and age-related losses can leave older people feeling they have less bodily capacity, less value to offer, and with less time left to live, can question whether a sense of purpose is a realistic proposition. Little is known about how to sustain or develop purpose in later life. This presentation will discuss the results of a PhD study that asked 12 older people receiving care at home how they experienced a sense of purpose. Participants shared experiences in two interviews, and to prompt further conversation and thinking, were also asked to take photographs of things they strive to do because they are important to them. Analysis of interviews and photographs highlighted four important everyday experiences of a sense of purpose for older people in this study: being involved, caring for and helping others, learning and creating something new, and being part of a meaningful story. Agency and resilience also helped participants to balance dependence and independence and navigate change in a way that supported an everyday sense of purpose, rather than a long-term life aim. A deeper understanding of purpose has the potential to increase individual and social expectations of purposeful living for older people, support their sense of self and adjustment to receiving care, and be supported as a resource for ageing well in policy and practice.