What Are the Facilitators and Barriers to Participation in Meaningful Occupations of Retired Community Based Older Adults?

Abstract

Retirement is an important life transition, with a growing population of individuals in this stage. This thesis explores the meaningfulness of occupations retired individuals engage in and the barriers or facilitators to engagement.

This study used in-depth interviews to explore meaningfulness of occupation of eight community based retired adults. Transition into retirement, personal choice and meaning and satisfaction influenced participation in occupations and overall satisfaction with retirement. Personal choice regarding participation in occupation influences an individual’s sense of satisfaction in occupations and retirement life. Participants expressed establishing retirement life, occupations and social interactions as being affected by personal choice. Meaning attributed to occupations was important as was the intensity of the meaning. The importance of exploring intensity of meaning, high or low, was also apparent in the study. Therapists can use the results with their retired clients to build opportunities for choice and increased satisfaction with occupations.