Transitioning Into A Meaningful Retirement

7 N Worthen St,Wenatchee WA 98801

21 September, 2021

Description

Transitioning Into A Meaningful Retirement Class description: The purpose of this class is to develop an occupation-based transition into retirement program to enhance self-efficacy, time management, and social skills to promote participation in a meaningful retirement and to ultimately improve quality of life. The focus of this class will be occupation-based, meaning activities that support performance in the following areas of occupation: activities of daily living (ADLs), instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), rest and sleep, leisure, and social participation (AOTA, 2014). Rodríguez-Monforte et. al defined the work to retirement transition as “a process of psychologically and behaviorally distancing oneself from the workforce and is often accompanied by other social changes in daily routine, the involvement in social groups, or income acquisition that can entail lifestyle modifications” (2020). There are also varying perceptions of retirement and this can be dependent on the individual’s work experience. Some perceive retirement as a time to step away from the external demands and use their time for activities they would not otherwise have time for. Some look forward to this freedom, while others find the unstructured use of time daunting. The literature evokes evidence that the process of retirement is not linear and that there is a need that occupational therapy practitioners can support retirees through the process with an individualized approach. Occupational therapy takes a holistic, client-centered approach to working with individuals across the lifespan to get back to engaging in meaningful occupations (activities) to live life as independently as possible. There is an increasing interest in the retiring population due to the rising age of the Baby Boomer generation. It is estimated that by 2030, the number of adults 65 years of age and over will reach 72 million, or 20% of the US population (CDC, 2013). Also, life expectancy is continually increasing, meaning people may spend 17 or more years in retirement (United Nations, 2019). With the unprecedented increase in retirees, there is also a need for increased resources to help this population ease into retirement. Society has put a great emphasis on the importance of paid work, but there has been little focus on transitioning out. This class will assist in the transition by empowering this generation to enhance their quality of life through the process of retirement by educating, supporting, and providing access to resources in their community. Brief bio: Meg Thees is a 3rd year Occupational Therapy Doctorate student at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana. Meg, originally from western Washington, moved to Wenatchee in 2017 prior to starting graduate school. She returned to Wenatchee earlier this year for clinical rotations at Central Washington Hospital and is now completing her doctoral capstone experience to complete her program. Meg will be working closely with her community supervisor Amy Jennings, a licensed and registered Occupational Therapist who is the team lead for inpatient and outpatient occupational therapy teams at Central Washington Hospital.