Preventive and Public Health Division, National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
Int J Health Serv. 2010;40(4):645-65. doi: 10.2190/HS.40.4.e.
As older workers move closer to retirement, they are more likely to take on caring roles. This may affect their health, retirement plans, and income security. Retired men and women experience the caring role differently, with men less likely to be adversely affected and more likely to accept services and to derive satisfaction from caring. Carers make an important contribution to the lives of the people they care for and to the community. Caring is a productive role that can be sustained into older age, as long as the carer's health and well-being are maintained. More research is needed on the relationship between retirement and caring, to explore the extent of caring and its impact on retirement plans, income, and the physical and mental health of retired carers. This information could then be built into retirement planning to better prepare older workers for this important role. Caring roles and retirement intersect in several ways. About 6 million Americans, 2.6 million Australians, and 6 million people in the United Kingdom are informal carers. People (especially men) are more likely to take on caring roles as they get older and leave the paid workforce. The need to care for a spouse or older relative can be an unanticipated outcome or a precipitator of retirement. Retirement may coincide with illness or disability of a parent or spouse, or may be forced by the demands of caring. Caring may bring about major changes to retirement plans. The financial impact of having been a carer during one's working life may also be felt most keenly on retirement, through the lack of opportunities for savings and retirement fund co-contributions.
随着年龄较大的工人接近退休年龄，他们更有可能承担照顾角色。这可能会影响他们的健康、退休计划和收入保障。退休的男性和女性以不同的方式体验照顾角色，男性不太可能受到不利影响，更有可能接受服务，并从照顾中获得满足感。照顾者为他们所照顾的人和社区的生活做出了重要贡献。照顾是一种可以持续到老年的生产性角色，只要照顾者的健康和福祉得到维持。需要对退休与照顾之间的关系进行更多研究，以探讨照顾的程度及其对退休计划、收入以及退休照顾者身心健康的影响。然后，可以将这些信息纳入退休规划中，以使老年工人更好地为这一重要角色做好准备。照顾角色和退休以几种方式相交。大约 600 万美国人、260 万澳大利亚人和 600 万英国人是非正式照顾者。随着年龄的增长和离开带薪劳动力，人们（尤其是男性）更有可能承担照顾角色。照顾配偶或年长亲属的需要可能是意外的结果，也可能是退休的促成因素。退休可能与父母或配偶的疾病或残疾同时发生，也可能是由于照顾的需求而被迫退休。照顾可能会对退休计划产生重大影响。在工作生涯中担任照顾者的经济影响也可能在退休时最为明显，因为缺乏储蓄和退休基金共同缴款的机会。
