The Transition from Work to Retirement Among Adults with Mental Retardation

Abstract

When adults with mental retardation retire, many face the challenges of poor health, poverty, and social isolation. These factors are often predictive of a decreased quality of life among retirees who do not have a lifetime disability and are also likely to be factors effecting the retirement experience for older employees with mental retardation, especially those who work in habilitation settings such as sheltered workshops. Employees with mental retardation need early planning through vocational counseling, recreational planning, and residential programs designed to facilitate a successful transition to retirement.

How do people with intellectual disabilities in Norway experience the transition to retirement and life as retirees?

“…Worries about not having other senior activities have emerged in the literature as well as in our study (McDermott andEdwards 2012, Wadsworth, Harper, andMcLeran 1995). In that case, poor planning seems to be the reason for the lack of senior activities.…”

“…Studies have demonstrated that maintaining a social network and a social support system are necessary goals for life satisfaction as retirees (Bates andDavis 2004, Wadsworth, Harper, andMcLeran 1995). The work setting is a social community and a place to develop and maintain friendships.…”

The Individual Plan for Retirement

“…As McCarthy (2014) recently asserted in this journal, to advance the knowledge base of the field, older but potentially still cogent contributions to the rehabilitation counseling literature that have dropped out of sight "warrant informed recognition, renewed attention, and contemporary application" (p. 73). This article is intended to promote increased interest in meeting the needs of older consumers and, in particular, to focus on retirement planning, an aspect of rehabilitation planning with older persons that has received extremely limited attention (except for persons with intellectual disabilities; Cordes & Howard, 2005;Fesko, Hall, Quinlan, & Jockell, 2012;Laughlin & Cotten, 1994;Llewellyn, Balandin, Dew, & McConnell, 2004;Sutton, Park, & Schwartz, 1993; J. S. Wadsworth, Harper, & McLeran, 1995). A PsycINFO search of the 1,030 entries for "rehabilitation counseling" between 1954 and 2014 yielded only one relevant hit for the subcategory of "retirement planning," the Wadsworth et al (1995) article.…”

“…S. Wadsworth, Harper, & McLeran, 1995). A PsycINFO search of the 1,030 entries for “rehabilitation counseling” between 1954 and 2014 yielded only one relevant hit for the subcategory of “retirement planning,” the Wadsworth et al (1995) article.…”