Occupational Therapy’s Role in Retirement Transition among First Responders

The number of retirees in society is increasing as the population ages worldwide, posing a societal opportunity for occupational therapy practitioners to provide preventative healthcare services to retirees before disability occurs. While there is a scarcity of evidence supporting occupational therapy in retirement transition, and occupational therapy practitioners are not active in retirement preparation and adjustment, practitioners have the potential to become leaders in community wellness as retirement collaborators and coaches.

To fill in the existing practice gap, it is necessary to develop and deliver retirement preparation and adjustment programs tailored to the needs of different professions. First responders represent a professional group that faces urgent and unique challenges and need a retirement preparation program. We present the specific challenges of first responders and advocate for occupational therapy intervention. This article asserts that retirement preparation programs with an occupation-based lens focus would facilitate adaptation to retirement. Addressing the distinct needs of first responders would also provide a template to build programs for other worker groups.