Differences in adjustment to retirement in relation to self-assessment of health and perception of social support

Abstract

With the growing numbers of the elderly population the number of retired people is also increasing. In order for people to achieve the best possible quality of life and preserve their potential to keep contributing to society, it is important to continually conduct studies on their adjustment to retirement. The main focus of this research is to gain a clearer insight into the adjustment of the elderly to retirement with regard to self-assessment of health and perception of social support, as well as to identify factors that could aid in better adjustment to retirement. The research was conducted in the autumn of 2019 and it included 208 people of both genders, over 65 years of age, without physical disability or severe physical, cognitive or mental impairments, who are residents of the Retirement home in the city of Bjelovar and users of the gerontology centres in Zagreb. Differences in adjustments to retirement with regards to self-assessment of own health and perception of social support were analyzed according to Atchley’s (2000) model of adjustment to retirement. The findings confirm the results from previous research that show that those who have a positive attitude toward life after retirement also score higher in self-assessment of health and perception of social support. The reasons for this could be the better health of these respondents, which allows them to remain socially active and focused on their role as retirees, while social support helps them gain positive experiences while adjusting to retirement.