Why Are Older People Seeking More Once Retired?

Photo retrieved from: http://www.cardi.ie/

One reason older people are doing more once they are retired is due to the need for interaction with others. Social interaction has many benefits for the older population including:

• In times of need they can find help from others with everyday tasks
• Provides conversation with others
• Allows for friendships to be built
• Caring about others gives another reason for living
• Keeps life interesting and gives life a purpose
• By remaining involved with others it is less likely older people will become isolated which can be devastating for a persons' physical and mental health (Stern & O'Boyle, 2002).

As stated by Stern and O'Boyle (2002) “Humans require positive meaningful interactions with other humans. Lack of stimulation from these types of interactions can lead to depression and cause memory problems.”  As well as this older people feel valued when they are contributing to society, be it paid or unpaid activity. If their contribution is appreciated by others the older person will find value in themselves (Stern & O'Boyle, 2002). This is why it is my opinion that meaningful occupations are a beneficial intervention to use with older people to prevent them from becoming ill. Occupations that older people can continue to participate in will prevent them from becoming socially isolated and give them a purpose in life which Stern and Boyle (2002) highlight is crucial in preventing depression and cognitive decline. I have learnt that older people often continue to participate in voluntary work or help out with community projects to continue to find some meaning from their days. Even something as simple as attending school galas or making a bird feeder for a friend gives an older person some meaning as they are involved and giving back to society. We all find meaning from the things we do and our daily occupations are occupations we value and we often feel at a loss if we loose an occupation from our lives. Age should not be a barrier to participation, even frailer older people with chronic illness can still be involved in physical activity. Furthermore Nay and Garratt (2009) identify that "strategies to improve older people's participation in physical activity have the potential to achieve a range of health benefits" (p.191). After studying this topic it now is my opinion that meaningful occupations can definitely benefit the older population and keep them happier and healthier for longer.

I found this website very interesting to look through: http://www.cardi.ie/. It is a website designed by the organisation CARDI: Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland. It has a number of articles regarding more older people working in retirement and a number of very relevant articles on the ageing population globally. CARDI has the mission to:

"advocate for and advance the ageing research agenda by identifying, coordinating, stimulating, and communicating strategic research on ageing and older people as a means to improve the lives of older people in Ireland (North and South) especially those who are disadvantaged".

CARDI (2010).

Note: Although CARDI is an orginization based in Ireland I saw that the research they have done and a number of their articles are very relevant to items discussed in my blog.

References:

CARDI. (2010). About us. In About us. Retrieved November 24, 2011, from http://www.cardi.ie

Nay, R., & Garratt, S. (2009). Older People: Issues and Innovations in Care (3rd ed., pp. 191-196). Victoria, Australia: Churchill Livingstone.

Stern, S., & O'Boyle, R. (2002). Successful Aging: Optimizing Life in the Second Half. In Successful Aging: Optimizing Life in the Second Half. Retrieved November 23, 2011, from http://www.ec-online/