Staying socially active is important during retirement

WHILE lots of emphasis — and fear — is put on the financial implications of retirement, many people are left unprepared for the other losses that can be experienced when they close the door on years of employment.     

As increasing amount of research is put into what allows older people to age well, the issue of social connection continually pops up – whether it be with family or friends.

“For generations it used to be that people had a couple of years of a healthy life after retirement, but now a person can expect to live 18 healthy years afterwards and the image of the retiree sitting in a chair beside the fire is gone,” says Peter Kavanagh, Information and Networking Officer with Active Retirement Ireland (ARI).