Transition to Retirement: A Guide to Inclusive Practice: Adaptations for the Current U.S. Context

Adaptations for the Current U.S. Context

The planning forms in the TTR manual (Appendix B) have a limited focus and have the unstated premise that the person wants to cut down their work hours and eventually retire, so they need to plan and begin to implement a retirement lifestyle to provide meaningful activity and social inclusion. However, some people want to continue working and have no wish to retire, although they may need workplace accommodations. These people may also be interested in joining a community group and/or volunteering while still working. Further, some may wish to retire completely, without a gradual transition. Retirement planning documents need to cater for all these outcomes as well. Additional questions could include:

• Would you like a different job? Why or why not?
• In your current job at (company name), do you want to:

1. Keep working the same number of hours each week?
2. Work more hours?
3. Work fewer hours but keep working part time?
4. Work fewer hours and slowly cut your hours until you transition to full retirement?
5. Stop working completely as soon as possible?

• In your current job, are you finding it hard to do some of the tasks? Which tasks and why? In your current job, are you finding it hard to work fast enough? What would help fix these problems?
• What is the minimum number of hours/days per week that the employer is willing to employ the person in their current job?
• How many hours/days each week would you like to work?

There are some U.S. retirement planning issues that were not relevant to the Australian TTR manual, so they were not covered. These include:

• For individuals who have health insurance through their job, what will be the effects on health insurance of reducing work hours or retiring completely? If the person will become ineligible for health insurance from their job, what alternative forms of health insurance are available and affordable? Will the person be eligible for Medicare?
• What plans are needed and feasible regarding saving for retirement? Is using an ABLE account a feasible option for this person? Is a 401(k) or similar plan relevant to this person? If so, what amount is affordable for the 401(k) contribution? When will they meet the minimum age requirement (or other eligibility criteria) to access their 401(k) savings and/or their Social Security savings?

TTR Retirement Lifestyle Planning Form

Suggested changes or additions to the TTR Retirement Lifestyle Planning Form are listed below, section by section.

Current Lifestyle

Throughout the TTR planning forms there is a strong emphasis on interests and activities, but little focus on friends and social networks, or on companions for activities. Additional questions:

• What do you like to do when you go out in your community?
• Who do you usually go out with in the community?
• Are there people you would like to go out with in the community (people you don’t go out with at present)? This could be someone you know now, or someone you used to know. What would you like to do in the community with that person?

Future Goals/Dreams

• What days/times do you have free each week when you could do a community activity?
• Are you interested in meeting new people, or do you want to do things in the community with people you already know? Or would you like to do both?
• Would you like to sleep in? What is the earliest/latest you would feel comfortable going to a community group/volunteering?
• Do you have any preferences about the other people in the community group/volunteering (age, interests, gender, language spoken, ethnicity, other)?
• Do you have any worries about feeling welcomed and safe at a community group/volunteering?
• Do you have any issues about traveling to and from a community group/volunteering?
• Would you feel more comfortable in a big group (more than 20 people) or smaller group (about 10 people) or would you feel much the same about a bigger or smaller group?

Other Issues to Consider

• Do you have a cell phone/smartphone? What do you use it for? What apps can you use without help? Who can you call without help?
• How far you can comfortably walk if your transport does not go all the way to your community group/volunteering?

Some of the questions from Updating the Plan (p. 152) also apply to the initial planning meeting (e.g., need help with mobility, self-care, health issues).

TTR Retirement Lifestyle Planning Form for Annual Review Meetings

This form is used for annual reviews of individuals who have opted to transition to retirement, who may be partly or fully retired and attending a community group/volunteering.

Suggested changes or additions to the TTR Retirement Lifestyle Planning Form are listed below, section by section.

Progress Since Commencement (or last Retirement Lifestyle Plan)

Are you still working?

If yes, how many days each week?

Do you want to:

• Keep working the same number of hours each week?
• Work more hours?
• Work fewer hours but keep working part time?
• Work fewer hours and slowly cut your hours until you transition to full retirement?
• Stop working completely as soon as possible?
• Do you have any money problems that limit your activities in retirement (or on the days you don’t work)?

Updating the Plan

• Who do you usually go out with in the community?
• Are there people you would like to go out with in the community (people you don’t go out with at present)? This could be someone you know now, or someone you used to know. What would you like to do in the community with that person?

Right of Return Letter

This guaranteed right of return will rarely, if ever, be offered by U.S. employers, so no such letter will be provided. The issue of permanently reducing one’s days of work should be discussed as part of TTR planning to ensure the person understands what they are agreeing to.