After many years of laborious work, retirement can be a welcome reward, but it can result in tension, anxiety, and depression. Mostly, retirement is linked with ageism, which refers to the stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination towards others or oneself based on age. Many Americans are now living into their 80s, 90s, and beyond. Going by this trend, the U.S. is bound to experience growth in the size and proportion of older persons in the aging population.
It means families are increasingly confronted with challenges like caring for elderly relatives and making end-of-life decisions. These issues can lead to disagreements and possibly put older persons at risk of abuse and violence. Individuals may miss the sense of identity, meaning, and purpose that their career provided, as well as the social aspect of having coworkers or fear of outliving their money. Instead of feeling liberated, relaxed, and fulfilled, retirees may develop feelings of boredom, isolation, and lack of purpose. Older people with more social relationships, whether with family, friends, or the community, and better financial security are generally healthier, happier, and live longer lives post-retirement.
The most challenging tasks after retirement are maintaining healthy living and establishing a structure and personal relationships to replace what one had in the work environment. Work dictated the schedule of the days and weeks for decades, but this routine needs to be replaced. The quality of the family environment the older people return to after retirement varies considerably because not all families provide safe, stable, and high-quality care.
Many families face the dual challenge of caring for their parents while supporting young and adult children. Studies show that social connections become very important as people age, meaning nonfinancial aspects of retirement are also critical for healthy living (Howe, 2012, p. 456). Strong relationships are also associated with a more positive outlook and less stress, which positively impacts biological aging (Carstensen, 2016). If older people live longer in good health and in a supportive environment post-retirement, they will be able to do things they value the same way as younger people.
Policies that Support Healthy Family Development Post Retirement
The paper focuses on healthful living, social engagement, and financial security because they mainly affect the long-term health of the elderly post-retirement. The following policies can support healthy family development in the aging population after retirement:
- Health promotion and disease prevention throughout life and at older ages by targeting behavioral risk factors.
- Support for pension income and some income from work.
- Supporting the provision of informal care by promoting care well-being and connection with family, friends, and community.
- Long-term care insurance.
Many people look forward to retirement, but it can be challenging since the habits and routines throughout a career can be washed away by newfound freedom. The following sections describe how these policies can alleviate the issues of adjusting to aging post-retirement.
Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Adopting a healthier lifestyle, such as increased physical activities in old age, improves balance, mobility, cognition, and well-being. Physically fit individuals tend to stay fit when they enter old age and stay healthier for a long time. According to Zhang et al. (2016), personal view of the elderly as fragile could influence their attitude toward seniors. Therefore, derivable benefits of physical activities increase social desirability for the older, besides keeping them mentally active.
Strategies to promote behavior change, such as providing cessation medication for smoking combined with behavioral counseling, can significantly reduce risky behaviors in old age. It includes intensive and multifaceted interventions involving physician advice, personalized feedback, follow-up, and educational materials that could help alleviate risky behaviors in old age and subvert possible abuse or violence against them.
Retirement and Pension Support
Income in retirement varies greatly, and this can affect the experience of retirement and health. It shows that policies and rules on retirement, pension, continued paid work, and income support in old age should be more thoughtful than simply raising the statutory retirement age. According to Carstensen (2016), Americans cannot finance 30-year retirements with just 40 years of work. Sometimes, a person loses pension income faster, which makes work unprofitable. Increasing pension compensation is necessary to improve the financial sustainability of pension systems and public finances for the elderly. Financial security helps reduce stress and enhance mental health once the elderly enter retirement. Increasing pension compensation will ensure the elderly can sustain themselves by increasing the money they live on and adjusting as necessary.
Support and Provision of Informal Care
Most people prefer living at home and remaining independent if possible. Access to adequate care at home is generally considered more effective and efficient in maintaining the quality of life. Sometimes, caring for a family member can be associated with reduced workforce participation or long-term loss of employment opportunities for the caregiver without public support (Venkatapuram et al., 2017).
Therefore, the public and the family need education on encouraging and helping older adults stay connected with their families and community. It includes arranging for family and friends to visit, enabling them to attend family parties, and volunteering for church, community, or charity organizations. According to Carstensen (2016) and Howe (2012, p. 488), transnationalism has become a social phenomenon because people no longer grow up and grow old in the same place with the same people and communities. Therefore, facilitating bonding between families beyond borders is a great way to help seniors overcome isolation and loneliness after retirement.
Long-term Care Insurance
Long-term care insurance arrangements can be suitable to supplement pensions for the aging population to alleviate financial security. The insurance coverage needs to be extended to all since 40 years of work is barely enough to support 30 years of retirement. It will help prepare for the potential heavy burden on the older generation post and cater to long-term care. The scheme should help people retiring to have sufficient funds, avoid undue pressure and focus on improving their quality of life.
References
Carstensen, L. (2016). Why we need to start thinking further into our future. Time. Web.
Cynthia, F. (2015). An update on strengths-based, solution-focused brief therapy. Health & Social Work, 40(2), 73-76. Web.
Howe, T. (2012). Chapter 13: Growing older in society. In T. Howe, Marriages & families in the 21st century: A bioecological approach (pp. 439-490). Wiley-Blackwell.
Venkatapuram, S., Ehnib, H.-J., & Saxena, A. (2017). Equity and healthy aging. Perspectives, 95(1), 791–792. Web.
Zhang, X., Xing, C., Guan, Y., Song, X., Melloy, R., & Wang, F. (2016). Attitudes toward older adults: A matter of cultural values or personal values? Psychology and Aging, 31(1), 89-100. Web.