Interview with Neeti VK, a correspondent at a Harmony magazine, a publication aimed towards the elderly

Q1) At which age do most people retire in India?60 - 65 years mostly

Q2) After retirement, do they follow a particular routine every day or do they not do anything in particular?As you said, there's a sense of loss and confusion, they try to find something to do but they don't keep up with it. Usually end up being depressed, lonely and involved in negative thoughts and worries, or get into alcoholism or hyperchondria.

Q3) From your experience in dealing with the elderly, what factors do you think causes them most unhappiness: the lack of physical prowess at their age, the definite downturn in activity levels after they have retired (i.e. sitting at home having nothing to do due to their not having to go to work) or the fact that they haven’t a community to share activities with?

I think it's the lack of productive things to do that mostly affects them. After maybe 40 years of working every day and facing challenges and all of that, suddenly they've absolutely nothing to do. Life gets into a routine of mundane activities, and this along with lack of exercise can put them into an all time low. Also, they have no one to share their time with: nuclear families have no time to spare.

Q4) Do you know of any retired people who have continued to work after retirement (at part-time jobs, helping out for free etc.)? Do they seem happier than those who have embraced the traditional retired life of doing nothing every day?In our magazine, we seek out and feature people who are actively involved in the community or a career despite being over 60. There are a lot of people who have taken up a second career after they've turned 50. Usually, they convert a long time hobby into a professional endeavor. There are also those who remain active and expect no monetary gain. These are people who volunteer their time and energy to NGOs, offer to teach children for free, or even voluntarily take up civil or legal issues in their area (filing RTI, fighting with municipality for right to continuous water supply etc). They obviously have a greater sense of satisfaction and achievement in their lives, and they're often also a source of inspiration to other older people around. Most people, when they hit 60, have often said that they have no more desire to chase after money, but just want to help out people in whatever way they can.

Q5) What, in your opinion, would help retired people lead a more satisfactory life?If they were more active, both physically and mentally, and inculcate a sense of positivity. They need to be around people, working towards solving a problem.