Grounds for post-retirement jobs and elderly health

Abstract

Background: Ageing is this inevitable, irreversible, and kind of involuntary process linked with a slow fall in productivity. Around the world, the population of older adults is growing fast because mortality keeps dropping, nutrition has improved, and medical advances are helping, so by 2030 it is projected that 994 million people will be aged 60+ , and 1.6 billion by 2050 . In India, seniors were about 8.6% of the population in the 2011 Census. At the same time, the weakening of classic family support networks seems to have pushed a noticeable increase in post-retirement work among older adults, kinda on its own.

Objective: To look at the socio demographic profile, the motivations, the workplace problems, and the health state of elderly persons who are taking post-retirement jobs in the city of Coimbatore.

Methods: This study used an exploratory approach. Purposive sampling was used to identify 160 respondents , and they were interviewed with an interview schedule that included socio-demographic details, the reasons for taking post-retirement employment, the difficulties faced , and the related health problems. The information was then assessed using simple proportions and cross tabulation , and that was basically it.

Results: Among the respondents, 78.12% were male and 21.87% female, 60.62% lived with children, while 39.37% lived as elderly couples. The economic reasons were the main push behind taking on work after retirement , then came personal reasons (43.12%) and social pressure (1.87%). Most respondents said they were treated well at work , largely because of their role in helping socialize younger colleagues. The difficulties seemed different depending on the occupational category, like blue collar versus white collar , and every working elderly person reported having general and/or specific health issues.

Conclusion: Post retirement employment , while it is showing up more and more , does not always mean a real positive shift for the individual, family, or wider society. These findings highlight the need to respect and support older adults, by tackling their basic needs, health matters, peace of mind, and overall life satisfaction , so insecurity and a loss of dignity later on can be prevented.