Fearing retirement
Discussion
A good friend of mine retires next month, this has come a little sooner than he envisaged after a fallout with an outspoken employee.
He's a greenskeeper and has been all his life, a proud man with impeccable diligence and work ethic, he confided in me that he's frightened about depression due to lack of purpose and relatively poor health that means he has limited mobility (his lungs are a bit buggered so he can't walk very far), I'd like to help him but I'm not sure of the best way how, any advice from those reading this would be appreciated
He's a greenskeeper and has been all his life, a proud man with impeccable diligence and work ethic, he confided in me that he's frightened about depression due to lack of purpose and relatively poor health that means he has limited mobility (his lungs are a bit buggered so he can't walk very far), I'd like to help him but I'm not sure of the best way how, any advice from those reading this would be appreciated
cheddar said:
A good friend of mine retires next month, this has come a little sooner than he envisaged after a fallout with an outspoken employee.
He's a greenskeeper and has been all his life, a proud man with impeccable diligence and work ethic, he confided in me that he's frightened about depression due to lack of purpose and relatively poor health that means he has limited mobility (his lungs are a bit buggered so he can't walk very far), I'd like to help him but I'm not sure of the best way how, any advice from those reading this would be appreciated
volunteering ? He's a greenskeeper and has been all his life, a proud man with impeccable diligence and work ethic, he confided in me that he's frightened about depression due to lack of purpose and relatively poor health that means he has limited mobility (his lungs are a bit buggered so he can't walk very far), I'd like to help him but I'm not sure of the best way how, any advice from those reading this would be appreciated
U3A ?
is there a 'men's shed ' nearby ?
jonah35 said:
The obvious answer is dont retire. Do something else. Go on holidays, travel etc
Hi Jonah, the only work he knows is greenkeeping, 50 years of experience at it and due to his remote location he can't just walk into another job. Regarding holidays, his limited lung capacity means that travelling any reasonable distance can be uncomfortableWith forty years' experience in a skill no one wants and a clean driving licence, I took up driving. After a spell of Trade Plate driving - which is hopeless and I wouldn't recommend to anyone - I became a delivery driver for a local garage. It's not very well paid but it's great; not too taxing and occasionally a nice car to drive. It's the sort of job where a lot of employers prefer well turned out older folk.
alfie2244 said:
Bit of part time local gardening work,,,, we have a 70yr old chap who comes and goes for a couple of hours at a time to suit himself.
This. A chap who worked for us as a farm had for decades retired and was soon looking after all the older peoples gardens in the village, which I think meant as much time chatting and drinking tea as it did gardening 
I should think any local cricket club would live to have a retired greenskeeper on hand for a bit of help and advice too.
RizzoTheRat said:
This. A chap who worked for us as a farm had for decades retired and was soon looking after all the older peoples gardens in the village, which I think meant as much time chatting and drinking tea as it did gardening
I should think any local cricket club would live to have a retired greenskeeper on hand for a bit of help and advice too.
Yet another nodding of one's head here.I should think any local cricket club would live to have a retired greenskeeper on hand for a bit of help and advice too.
A friend's father fell into a state of depression leading to hospitalisation. Once out, he took up gardening in his block of flats. He initially talked to the council, but they were not particularly interested. Fortunately, the local nature reserve people were interested and provided compost material and other bits to get him started.
He transformed the strips of grass around the back of the flats into an area full of flowers, plant pots, completely transforming it. Other neighbours volunteered and joined in. Fast forward a couple of years and the grass strips at the front and back of the block of flats have been transformed.
He told my mother that he should have done this "Years ago" because it has changed his life for the better, got him out of the flat, socialised with people, and contributed to improving his neighbourhood.
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