Time for old friends and grandchildren? post-retirement get-togethers and life satisfaction

This article examines patterns of participation in get-togethers and their impact on well-being in a sample of 383 recently retired individuals in Israel. Results indicated that retirees, regardless of their background, tend to maintain existing patterns of involvement at the same or at increased frequency. However, get-togethers’ role in successful adjustment to retirement seems to be limited. Only two types of relationships were found to be significant for respondents’ well-being (with spouses and siblings), while spending time with other family members and friends did not significantly predict their satisfaction with life. These findings led to the conclusion that increasing the participation in get-togethers may not be a good strategy for facing the challenge posed by the tremendous amount of additional free time following retirement. In order to better adjust to retirement, energies should be reallocated in more satisfying and meaningful directions.