This document has been written to help CSP members as they embark on retirement
For many of us, being a physiotherapist has been such an integral part of our identity that adjustment at the early stages of retirement can be difficult.
It is hoped that individuals intending to retire, or having retired already, will join the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Retirement Association (CSPRA) to maintain their contacts with other retired colleagues as well as the professional organisation. You can find out more about the CSPRA by logging onto iCSP and choosing the retired members’ network.
For some people this is an exciting and welcomed time, while others see retirement as a time of anxiety or unwelcome change. Either way, the CSPRA is there to provide support to CSP members. Retirement is now not a fixed time and there are many who gradually reduce their work commitments, while some decide that they will finish work more suddenly to embark on a new phase of their life. There is no right or wrong way to retire and it is hoped that some of the stories that are shared later in this document demonstrate a range of experiences.
When individuals contemplate retirement, many factors are considered, including financial situation, family commitments, health considerations, as well as general quality of life. Some people take retirement as a chance to do things that they did not have time to do before, such as travel, learning a new skill, or developing an old skill that had become rusty!
It is hoped that this document will give you some information regarding finance and future planning as well as sharing some ideas of how others have approached retirement, and the activities and opportunities that retired members have explored.