Abstract

HERRERA SANTI, Patricia M. Retirement and aging, their impact on family health. Rev Cubana Med Gen Integr [online]. 2008, vol.24, n.4, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-3038.

The impact of retirement and aging on family health as normative events of the stage of contraction the family goes through in its vital cycle is presented. Aging was studied between September 2001 and December 2002 in 58 families who had at least an elderly among their members. Retirement was analyzed from May 2003 to June 2004 in 70 families who had al least a member with less than a year of retirement. In both cases, descriptive and cross-sectional studies were conducted aimed at assessing the repercussion of these events on family health. An instrument that allows to evaluate the level of repercussion of the event on family health was used. On applying it, it was possible to determine that aging showed a repercussion from mild to moderate, whereas retirement had a repercussion from elevated to moderate, both with favorable sense. It was observed that the most affected areas due to the presence of the older adult were the socieconomic and family functioning. The socieconomic sphere and the health status were the most affected as regards retirement.

Keywords : Family crises; retirement; aging; family stress.