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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning of retirement to adults with an intellectual disability in older age. Background: Seven adults between the ages of 50-60 years old participated in in-depth semi-structured interviews on the subject of retirement. All participants lived independently in the community, three participants were male and four participants were female. Method: An interview guide was used to address topics related to retirement. Interviews were approximately one hour in duration. Data was analyzed to find content themes. Findings: Three key themes came out of the data; the economics of retirement, desire for choices in retirement, and changing relationships with ageing parents. Discussion: Rethinking the term “retirement” in order to be more inclusive to the experience of populations who may not have participated in the paid workforce, acknowledgement of the transition from a “person with a disability” to a “senior citizen”, and education in regards to retirement and the issues that arise at this time of life are areas of discussion that came forward in this study.