Q:My brother and I have been encouraging our dad to retire, but he won’t hear of it. He is nearing 67 years old, in great health and is active enough that he should be able to enjoy the last phase in his life.
Dad says that he does not know what he would do with himself if he retired. We love our dad and we want what is best for him, but we cannot seem to get him to listen to us and retire. What can we do?
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A:A number of professionals are rethinking the whole idea of when older men and women should retire, or even if they should. At one time, people assumed they would retire at 65, but that is not the case now.
People either retire or continue working for any number of reasons.
Some people retire because they are not able to keep up with the demands of the job and retire to preserve their health.
Other people retire to give themselves more time to pursue such passions as gardening.
Others are forced into retirement because they are disabled or sick. Some leave because they are 65 or their families have talked them into it. They are the ones who struggle through hours of boredom until they find a purpose in their community.
Work can maintain a person’s physical health. It gets them up and moving, gives them a purpose in life and keeps them in touch with neighbours and friends.
Rather than trying to talk your father into retiring, why don’t you and your dad explore his workplace? Does he have any concerns about his ability to keep up to the demands of his job? Are there hazards or risks that make his work setting unsafe? Is his work stressful? How is it affecting his health? Could the managers of his work place do anything to make his job easier?
Let these questions lead the two of you into discussions to help him decide the right time to retire.
Jacklin Andrews is a family counsellor from Saskatchewan. Contact: jandrews@producer.com.
