The subjective dimension of ageing is central to understand behaviours and decision making of older people. Evidence has shown that subjective survival probabilities (SSP) are good predictors of mortality. However, no study has so far considered whether and how key roles of older people shape their subjective survival probabilities. In this study, we give attention to sub-group differences in subjective survival probabilities, comparing people who do not have grandchildren, grandparents not looking after grandchildren and their counterparts engaged in grandparental childcare. We use data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), collected biennially from 2000 to 2012 in the USA. Based on a sample of 23,895 respondents aged 50-89, we calculate, for each respondent, their SSP and the estimated objective survival probabilities (OSP) from the HRS data by grandparental status. Preliminary findings show that the roles held in later life affect the individuals’ survival probabilities and that engagement with the younger generations positively affect the own perceptions of ageing.