Social and emotional effects of geographical relocation on elderly retirees

Compared the adjustment of retired persons who had relocated in South Florida to that of retired persons who had resided in South Florida prior to retirement. A 93-item interview schedule was administered to 314 Ss who had retired 1.5-20 yrs previously. There was a strong tendency for relocaters to move into retirement communities and for nonrelocaters to live in traditional housing. Type of residence interacted with relocation status on the main measure of adjustment, the Srole Anomia Scale. For most Ss, retirement was not well planned, and only a minority had received retirement counseling. Life perceptions were remarkably optimistic. About 75% of the Ss felt that retirement was mostly good, over 75% rated their health as good or excellent, and over 90% were satisfied with their life situation. Only 15% were classified as anomic. Retirement planning was the most important predictor of adjustment, and a combination housing type/relocation variable was the second best predictor. Other important predictors were aspects of support networks, current health status, change in income, and education. (14 ref)