Occupational experiences of recently retired people inthe urban envinronment of the Province of Coruña

Abstract

Aims: Nowadays has been observed a progressive aging of the population which has increased the interest about retirement, as the duration of this will be longer and will affect labour, health and education systems, as well as the proper organization of society. The objective of this study is to explore and learn about the occupational experiences of older recently retired in the urban environment of the province of A Coruña. Methods: It has been used for the study the quantitative and qualitative research, being used as methods of data collection a questionnaire, a semi-structured interview and a field journal homemade. The sample consisted of 13 retired people. Results: There are inconsistencies between the results of the questionnaire and refer participants in the interview, because the retirement questionnaire give a positive meaning while in his speech is the opposite. Furthermore, they have limitations to understand the official concept of retirement and identify with him. Finally, it highlighted the influence of climate on occupational performance and the controversy about how leisure is understood as the environment in which the person lives (urban or rural). Conclusions: We conclude that the distribution of time is one of the most significant changes in retirement, existing contradictions about the meaning given to it. The results also reflect the need for pre-retirement preparation, although initially many participants do not identify this need as their own