Abstract
Post – retirement is a very important stage in human development. post – retirement is inevitable in the lives of workers, whether in private or public sector. All workers must retire one time or the other in their lives. It is however unfortunate that the thought of post – retirement to workers breeds anxiety. Attitude towards post – retirement needs not be this negative, counsellors, behaviour modifiers and other helping professionals need to address this recurring and debilitating worry or concern. This paper therefore examines the concept, nature, causes and effects of post – retirement anxiety among workers. It further reviews and recommends three counselling interventions for managing post – retirement anxiety among workers; Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy (REBT), financial stimulation counselling and business/investment stimulation counseling
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 Introduction
Post – retirement is an integral part of a worker’s life. It is regarded as an important stage in human development the world over. People who plan their post – retirement well in advance adjust well to post – retirement , and they are likely to go through it as a honeymoon phase in which they are quite active or may go through an R and R (Rest and Relaxation) phase of recuperating from stress and strains of employment (Odu, 1998 & Dada & Idowu, 2010).
According to Belsky (1990) post – retirement is a transition from the world of work into a world of less rigorous work activity and rest, especially in respect of post – retirement due to old age or long years of service. In Nigeria, no officer in the public service shall be allowed to remain in service after attaining the post – retirement age of sixty years or thirty five years pensionable service whichever is earlier (Federal Republic Nigeria, 2008). However, some post – retirement s have not been due to old age or long service, but to a cut down in expenses in the public and private sectors of the economy as well as political factors (Adeoye and Legbara, 1997).
There are thousands of Nigerians who retire everyday. Workers, especially those on the verge of post – retirement have many concerns. The challenges and prospects of an enjoyable post – retirement are different for each and every person. post – retirement anxiety affects millions of Nigerians every year. Concerns like: What will I do with my time? Who am I that I am longer a physician (or teacher or manger)? Do I have enough money or financial security to continue to live on when I post – retired? Have I saved enough? Will my spending have to be drastically curtained? Can I count in my national health insurance providers for Medicare? Can I count on my pension administrator or government for payment of my gratuity and pension?
Workers are not left out of this crossroads and puzzles. Their pay at the end of the month hardly takes them home. They have families to fend and provide for. Their wives and children must eat in order to live. Their children need to go to school and be well educated in order to be well off in life. They need houses of their own. These workers who are still in service are part of the larger society who read, see and watch on the pages of newspapers and in television respectively news of pensioners dying on the queue while waiting to be screened for payment of gratuity and pension; of other retirees waiting for over two years for their pension and gratuity to be processed; fraud by government officials and pension administrators; Pensioners being owed over two years of pension arrears and pensioners threats of committing suicide. Post-post – retirement Life Styles A case in point is the recent threat by Mr. Amadi Dennis, who post – retired from Edo State Civil Service, who threatened to commit suicide on the 14th of February, 2014 because of government refusal to pay his gratuity and pension. He rescinded his ‘valentine gift’ to all Nigerians following plea from eminent Nigerians and friends. Obviously, these are enough to cause post – retirement anxiety among workers.Post-post – retirement Life Styles
The causes of post – retirement anxiety among workers therefore, are irregular payment of pension and gratuity, lack of faith in the ability to survive because of what befell other retirees in the past, lack of planning for post – retirement on the part of workers, lack of business skills and vocational expertise, lack of personal development, lack of funds to venture into business before and after post – retirement ; unnecessary delay in processing pension claims (Brandon 2011). In order to overcome the anxiety, workers device means to continually remain in the service or work even in post – retirement (Brandon, 2011). Post-post – retirement Life Styles This seems to be the reason for falsification of records and age by workers in a bid to remain in service even after attaining the post – retirement age. Little wonder then why septuagenarians and octogenarians are still in the public and private services when they are supposed to be enjoying their post – retirement s.Post-post – retirement Life Styles
The actions and inactions of government and other post – retirement service administrators on one hand, and the situation faced by workers on the other hand are obviously anxiety provoking, especially to workers who are yet to retire or be post – retired. There is therefore the need to examine post – retirement anxiety in all ramifications and proffer counselling interventions for managing post – retirement anxiety among workers. In doing this, the paper focuses on the concept of post – retirement anxiety, nature, causes and effects of post – retirement anxiety on workers, and counselling interventions for managing post – retirement anxiety among workers.Post-post – retirement Life Styles
At post – retirement , a worker discontinues from doing a particular work for which he/she has been known for a long period of time. In the public/civil service, the government no longer requires the service of the individual, and he/she is placed on monthly pension. In most of the sub-saharan African Countries like Nigeria, where government battles the irregularity in the payment of monthly salaries of work force, prompt release of monthly stipend to those who have disengaged from the service has been a major challenge. Consequently, most workers close to age of post – retirement exercise a lot of fears of the unknown after post – retirement . Real life experiences have shown that pensioners often face some challenges after post – retirement that have consequential effects on the socio-economic and physiological well being. It is obvious that gratuities are not paid promptly most especially by most state governments and this throws retirees into the realm of uncertainty and inability to take socio-economic decisions.
Socioeconomic status affects overall human functioning, including their physical and mental health e.g. when post – retired. Income and access to resources mitigate a social problem that ultimately affects retirees, post – retired people in Nigeria this category remain among te most economically vulnerable groups, the majority of post – retired do not work or have fewer options for continued income in Nigeria. They are at risk for rising costs of living, which may place them at an economic disadvantage (social security administration, 2006).
Recent studies indicated that the quality of care afforded to post – retired adults with medicate condition is substandard in Nigeria (Adamu, 2004). Furthermore, older people who work are less likely to maintain employment as their healthdeclines.
Psychological health and wellbeing of the post – retired in Nigeria, the researcher observed thatpovertyistheriskfactorfordeclinesinmentalhealthamongtheretirees.Those at the lower levels of socioeconomic status are often most afflicted with psychological disorder.
Poverty affects the health of the post – retired in significant ways. Some of the post – retired in Katsina were simply unable to afford. The basics of minimal health care and prescriptiondrugs
e.g. the urban retirees. It is not unusual to find this group skipping on their prescriptions, skipping days or cutting the dosage. They may even share prescription drugs with others or take medication that is out of date and therefore ineffective or potentially dangerous. All this amount to drug abuse which is dangerous to their failing health.
Social activities of the retirees are somehow affected when they are unable to afford simple care, e.g. eyeglasses or hearing aids. They are unable to afford simple care, e.g. eyeglasses or hearing aids. They begin to isolate themselves and feel cutoff from the life around them. Many cannot afford simple nutritious food/ three square meal in aday. They prepare to buy the cheapest. Many retirees died of heat exhaustion had no access to air conditioning and were too afraid to open their windows fearing intruders. They died in their sealed apartments; they heat their rooms often using dangerous methods such as firewood andcharcoal.
Some post – retired in Katsina cannot afford even the simple pleasures of social interaction or entertainment. Combine this with physical limitation, health problems like hypertension, diabetes, body pains, arthritis etc. and unsafe community orneighborhoods.
. It is as a result of the above disturbing issues that the researcher decides to study the lifestyleof post retirees in Nigeria
Objectives of the Study
The major objective of the study is to examine the relationship between lifestyle and health status of post – retired workers in Nigeria.
The Specific Objectives of the Study are to;
- determine the relationship between the health status and food consumption patterns of post – retired workers in Nigeria.
- determine the relationship between the lifestyle and income of post – retired workers in Nigeria.
- identify the social network that exists for enhancing lifestyle and health status of the post – retired worker in Nigeria.
- determine the care given by the relations of the post – retired workers and his/her lifestyle in Nigeria. Research Questions
- What is the relationship between health status and food consumption patterns of post – retired workers in Nigeria?
- What is the relationship between lifestyle and income of post – retired workers in Nigeria?
- What is the relationship between social network that exists for enhancing lifestyle and health status of the post – retired worker in Nigeria.
- What is the relationship between the care given by the relations of the post – retired workers and his/her lifestyle in Nigeria? Hypotheses
- There is no significant relationship between the health status and food consumption patterns of post – retired workers in Nigeria.
- There is no significant relationship between lifestyle and income of post – retired workers in Nigeria.
- There is no significant relationship between social network that exists for enhancing lifestyle and health status of the post – retired worker in Nigeria.
- There is no significant relationship between the care given by the relations of the post – retired workers and his/her lifestyle in Nigeria.
1.3 Significance of the study
This study is going to be of benefit to policy makers, civil society, general public, scholar, academicians and Home economist.
The study will enlighten policy makers, based on facts and what need to be done with regards to post – retired workers lifestyle and health status in Nigeria and this could be achieved publications and seminars. For civil society the study will help and provide information on how to save judiciously and prepare for their post – retirement and this could be achieved through awareness campaign during and after their services.
To the general public, the study would provide general information on how post – retired workers strive to make ends meet and such information that would facilitate information sharing and discharge, and the general public would have access to this findings through radio and other media publicities. For Scholars, academicians and Home economist, this study would serve as an avenue or source of information which would aid further studies and it would be available for the academicians and scholars in school libraries.
1.4 Delimitation
The research work was delimited to lifestyle (nutrition) and health status (depression, diabetes, hypertension and cancer) of the post – retired workers population in Nigeria. The study was also delimited to food consumption patterns of retirees in Nigeria. The study was also delimited to the three senatorial zones of Nigerias. The study was be delimited to both male and female post – retired workers.
1.7 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS
Lifestyle: This has to do with how someone lives his/her life.
Health Status: refers to the health condition of post – retired worker.
Post – retired worker: A person who has served the civil-service (public
Service) for a specified period (35 years or have attain the age of 60 in Nigeria) and is made to leave the service i.e. to take a rest. He/she is paid gratuity and pension.
Consumption pattern: ways that post – retired worker used up their incomes. Social network: refers to the level of social activity of post – retired workers. Care: feeling affection or love and concern shown to the post – retired worker.
