From Snapshots to Movies: The Association between Retirement Sequences and Aging Trajectories in Limitations to Perform Activities of Daily Living

Objectives: This study analyzed the dynamic association between retirement sequences and trajectories of functioning to perform ADLs. Methods: Health and Retirement Study data for 7,880 older Americans were analyzed using hierarchical linear models. Results: Functioning trajectories were similar for sequences characterized by complete retirement from full- or part-time jobs, baseline functioning was lower for sequences characterized by early retirement and being out of the labor force, and functional decline rates were slower for sequences characterized by partial and late retirements. Discussion: The conventional model, in which people completely retire from a full-time job at normative ages, and the new conventional widely-promoted model of late retirement, are both associated with better functioning in old age. But unconventional models, where individuals keep partially engaged with the labor force, are also associated with better functioning. These findings highlight the importance of using dynamic approaches to inform novel policy solutions for unprecedented demographic challenges.