Aging After Retirement

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to explore theoretical explanations of the process of aging of retired older adults going beyond activity and continuity theories. Fourteen older adults who live active and healthy lifestyles were interviewed. Interview transcriptions and field notes were analyzed using grounded theory method to derive theoretical explanations representing the aging social processes of older, retired adults lifestyles. The findings were shared with facility staff and an expert in the field of gerontology for their feedback. A basic social process of Health Transitioning and six core variables were compared with the current literature in social gerontology. Healthy retirement had two clearly defined stages: Early Wellness and Later Illness. Six core variables marked this transition: Having high activity, losing activity, losing personal health, losing the spouse's health, losing the spouse, and losing financial stability. Implications for care-giving of older adults and retirement planning are posed.