Because store employees usually don't suspect and keep their eyes elderly people as shoplifting suspects.

they've gotta strong arm ya to pay for their health insurance premiums.

Because they are bored. They also want to be brave before they die.

They've got nothing to lose.

Shorter life sentences.

They want to let the rebel in them come out.

Two likely scenarios might be frustration and desperation. I was in a CVS Drug Store just a few days ago, and I saw this elderly man shoplift a candy bar. He just put it in his pocket, then walked out the front door of the store with it, after picking up his prescriptions. The manager of that particular CVS outlet was a personal friend of mine, so I grabbed another candy bar, walked over to her cash register and said, "Ring this up for me, please." She did, and when she went to put it in a small bag for me, I said, "No, you keep it," then I explained that I was paying the 50¢ for what the old man stole. When she asked why I was doing that, I said, "The guy is around 75 - 80 years old, and there is just no way you can 'win' on this; the store will look like 'the villain' to the public, for going after an old dude like him, so it's just better if I do what I did, and we call it a 'gift' from me to him, retroactively." She thanked me for doing that, and that was the end of it. There is a lot of shoplifting by elderly people all the time, and as I noted, the stores usually don't prosecute, if they catch the person in the act. They just give the old person a scolding, take the stolen object away from them and send them home. In addition to being either frustrated or desperate, some elderly crimes are committed due to the vagaries of old age, such as senility (dementia) or the onset of Alzheimer's Disease, which is another reason why victims don't pursue prosecution; it's believed that in many cases, the elderly person simply didn't know what s/he was doing, and forgiveness seems to be the wiser course of action, for them. +5

The same reason some young and middle aged people do.

cause they dont care theyre doing that

Thats an ageist question. Why do teens and people in their 20s commit crimes?

Some like to continue their bad habit.

It may be the same reasons anyone does: poverty-stricken, mentally ill, the path in life they have chosen, etc...

Anonymous gave the best answer so far. I can't top it I just had to answer to recycle the question because I thought some of the answers were funny and I wanted others to see them again.

For the same reasons younger people commit crimes. The list of reasons is long.

Going to jail gives them a free place to live, meals, medical care, etc.

My pocket, nothings in my pock... OH, how did that get there? Not many older people are as absent minded as that, but it does play as a good thing for getting out of situations like that. Boredome gets to be huge for many old people, where it is common anymore that families just do not talk with kin as much, too much else going on.

you think thieves grow out of stealing? Wake up son as they are old they have more experience at being dishonest. Don't fall for the innocent old person some are good at lying to your face. I used to be into security cameras and hand out the a doorman whos asked the question sir have you forgeten to pay for the item many times

She just wouldn't shut up.

jail gives them healthcare, lodging, meals, etc.