Efficacy of a pre-retirement planning intervention for aging individuals with mental retardation

This report describes a study designed to identify variables related to attitudes toward retirement among adults with mental retardation. Seventy-five adults with mild to moderate mental retardation were compared to a group of age peers drawn from the employee population of a regional centre in a Southern American state. It was found that a general satisfaction with life and feelings of preparedness for retirement were strongly related to attitudes toward retirement among both groups. Other common correlates that were significantly related among both groups included financial preparedness, health perceptions, orientation to work and commitment to work. Also observed was a high correlation between life satisfaction and orientation to work and commitment to work among both groups. The authors also found that pre-retirement planning did prove to be a generally effective means of teaching older adults with mental retardation the options that are available during their retirement years, but did not seem to change their attitudes toward retirement or life satisfaction. The authors conclude that retirement has positive connotations for most individuals with mental retardation, particularly if they feel that they are prepared for it.