Relationship between life satisfaction and postretirement employment among older women

The Effect of an Increase of the Retirement Age on the Health, Well-Being, and Labor Force Participation of Older Workers: a Systematic Literature Review

To sustain a viable public pension system, many governments have increased the statutory retirement age and delayed the age of entitlement to public pension benefits. This systematic literature review investigates the empirical evidence on the effects of increasing the retirement age on the health, well-being, and labor force participation of older workers. Optimized and broad search queries were used to search for empirical evidence in four databases: EconLit, PsycINFO, PubMed, and SocINDEX. The systematic literature search was conducted in May 2019. Snowballing was performed on the reference lists of the publications to find additional studies. The quality of the included studies was also examined. The PRISMA guidelines were used to guide this systematic literature review. Nineteen studies were included in this review. Twelve studies estimated the effect of an increase in the statutory retirement age, and seven studies examined working beyond the retirement age. The reported findings were classified into health-related outcomes, well-being, and the effects on labor force participation and the perception of the retirement age. The reported findings regarding health-related outcomes and well-being were not comparable. The increase of the retirement age has increased labor force participation among older workers and has increased the preferred and expected retirement age in the direction of the public pension reform. However, evidence on the effects of an increase of the retirement age on the health and well-being of older workers remains scarce and inconclusive.

Technological Change in the Retirement Transition and the Implications for Cybersecurity Vulnerability in Older Adults

Retirement is a major life transition, which leads to substantial changes across almost all aspects of day-to-day life. Although this transition has previously been seen as the normative marker for entry into older adulthood, its influence on later life has remained relatively unstudied in terms of technology use and cybersecurity behaviours. This is problematic as older adults are at particular risk of becoming victims of cyber-crime. This study aimed to investigate which factors associated with the retirement transition were likely to increase vulnerability to cyber-attack in a sample of 12 United Kingdom based older adults, all of whom had retired within the past 5 years. Semi-structured, one to one interviews were conducted and subsequently analysed using thematic analysis. Six themes were identified referring to areas of loss in: social interaction, finances, day-to-day routine, feelings of competence, sense of purpose, and technology support structures. We discuss the implications of these losses for building cyber-resilience in retirees, with suggestions for future research.

Financial burden among US households affected by cancer at the end of life

OBJECTIVE

Economic burden on families coping with end-stage cancer remains poorly understood. Advanced malignancy threatens financial stability of families, and interventions are needed to buffer them from impoverishment. This study examined the relationship between subjective and objective assessments of financial burden on families (financial strain and stress, respectively) and identified potentially modifiable factors to inform intervention efforts.

METHODS

Using national survey data, we analyzed responses from households that had recently experienced a cancer death; 176 of households provided information on financial strain, and 158 provided data on financial stress. In addition to self-reported appraisals of financial burden, measures assessed elements of the cancer care experience, treatment, symptom burden, work impact, insurance coverage, and demographics.

RESULTS

Despite being well insured, approximately a quarter of respondents reported that the cost of care was a major financial burden, and a third used all or most of their savings. Financial strain and stress were moderately positively correlated (r = 0.46, p < 0.01). Higher financial stress scores were negatively correlated with decedent's age at death (r = -0.34, p < 0.01), and minority respondents ('other' race) reported much higher financial stress (M = 4.7; SD = 3.2) than White (M = 0.8; SD = 1.4) or Black (M = 1.6; SD = 2.2) respondents (p < 0.001). Financial burden was also associated with no or limited insurance coverage, changes in employment, severe pain and nausea, and provider interactions during the cancer care experience (e.g., whether the MD paid attention to non-medical factors or having unanswered questions about medications) (p < 0.05 for all).

CONCLUSIONS

The cancer care experience, symptoms, and work impact were associated with financial burden and have important implications for research and practice. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Can successful aging and chronic illness coexist in the same individual? A multidimensional concept of successful aging

For the past 4 decades, many studies seeking to develop a definition and identify critical determinants of successful aging have been published. To date, there is still no consensus on a standard definition or measure of "successful aging." Most constructs have been one dimensional; although a few have been multidimensional, none has emerged as standard. The most serious limitation of contemporary successful aging constructs is the undue focus on physiologic aspects of aging. To move beyond this limited perspective that stresses disease and impairment, we postulate that successful aging may coexist with diseases and functional limitations if compensatory psychological and/or social mechanisms are used. With this premise, this article presents a new definition and conceptual framework of successful aging, together with an operational definition (measurement) that delineates our successful aging concept. We discuss how the proposed multidimensional measurement may be used as a screening tool, and address its relevance for health services research and health care delivery.

Does gradual retirement have better outcomes than abrupt retirement? Results from an Australian panel study

Conventional wisdom promotes gradual retirement rather than an abrupt end to the working life. This paper compares the outcomes of abrupt and gradual retirement one and three years after the transition to retirement began using data from an Australian panel study. The outcomes included changes in health, positive and negative affect, wellbeing and marital cohesion. For many outcomes there was no difference between gradual and abrupt retirements, but those who retired abruptly were more likely to rate their health as having deteriorated and more likely to report better adjustment to retirement. Control over retirement decisions was also explored; it emerged as a more important factor in retirement wellbeing than whether the transition was gradual or abrupt. The absence of interaction or additive effects between the retirement pathway and the level of control over the process confirmed this result. Thus there is no simple answer to the question in the title. Retiring gradually allows time for people to make changes to their lifestyle, but having control over the timing and manner of leaving work had a greater positive impact on psychological and social wellbeing, and this persisted three years after retirement. The findings suggest that policies and employment practices that promote employees' control of their retirement decisions will enhance wellbeing in later life and facilitate longer workforce participation.

Happiness and congruence in older adulthood: a structural model of life satisfaction

The purpose of this study was to determine how health impairment, socioeconomic status, and social support relate to life satisfaction in later life. Using data from a sample of 320 older adults from The Georgia Centenarian Study, we constructed a structural model of life satisfaction. LISREL analysis was performed to test a two-factor model that included Happiness and Congruence and to determine the relationship of health impairment, socioeconomic status (SES), and social support to Happiness and Congruence, two measures of the Life Satisfaction Index-A (LSI-A). Data were found to provide a satisfactory fit of the model (GFI = 0.94; AFGI = 0.91). Social support and SES were found to have direct effects on health impairment. Health impairment was a key predictor and mediating variable of Happiness and Congruence. Findings also support a relationship between social resources and subjective well-being in later life. In particular, the association between social resources and life satisfaction was mediated through health impairment. These findings offer understanding relative to how health and social resources influence past and present assessments of subjective well-being among the elderly.

Geriatric rehabilitation. 5. The societal aspects of disability in the older adult

This self-directed learning module highlights the societal aspects of disability and the older adult. It is part of the study guide on geriatric rehabilitation in the Self-Directed Physiatric Education Program for practitioners and trainees in physical medicine and rehabilitation and geriatric medicine. This article specifically focuses on ethical issues, including capacity, psychodynamics, sexuality, community integration, work, leisure skills, and the issue of driving a motor vehicle.

OVERALL ARTICLE OBJECTIVE

To summarize the societal aspects of disability and the older adult.

Older adults' views of "successful aging"--how do they compare with researchers' definitions?

OBJECTIVES

To determine whether older adults have thought about aging and aging successfully and to compare their perceptions of successful aging with attributes of successful aging identified in the published literature.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional, mailed survey.

SETTING

King County, Washington.

PARTICIPANTS

Nondemented participants from two cohorts. The first cohort, referred to as Kame, which means turtle, a symbol of longevity for Japanese, enrolled 1,985 Japanese Americans aged 65 and older and was established in 1992-94. The second cohort, Adult Changes in Thought, enrolled 2,581 white men and women aged 65 and older from a health maintenance organization and was established in 1994-96.

MEASUREMENTS

Respondents were asked whether they had ever thought about aging and aging successfully and whether these thoughts had changed over the previous 20 years and about how important specific attributes, originating from the published literature, were in characterizing successful aging.

RESULTS

Overall, 90% had previously thought about aging and aging successfully, and approximately 60% said their thoughts had changed over the previous 20 years. The Japanese-American group rated 13 attributes as important to successful aging; the white group rated the same 13 as important and added one additional attribute, learning new things.

CONCLUSION

Older adults' definition of successful aging is multidimensional, encompassing physical, functional, psychological, and social health. In contrast, none of the published work describing attributes of successful aging includes all four dimensions. Future work would benefit from an expanded definition to adequately reflect the perceptions of older adults.