Clarification of early retirement

Initial situation

Ms D. has been working in nursing for many years. The work is becoming increasingly strenuous for her body – she is exhausted and lacks motivation. A year before her 60th birthday, she begins to wonder whether she can keep going until retirement

Proitera’s assignment

Ms D. wants to find out whether she can afford to take early retirement. She contacts Proitera and arranges a meeting.

Proitera's intervention

Ms D. arrives at the initial appointment with various financial documents. An explanation of her pension fund statement provides an initial impression. To assess the situation more accurately, the advisor requests a pension forecast from the compensation office. During the conversation, it emerges that Ms D. is also facing various problems in her private life. She is still grieving the death of her father, but – and she is reluctant to admit this – after his long illness and increasing dementia, his passing was also a relief. She felt overwhelmed by the subsequent differences with her siblings regarding what should happen to the family home. Old patterns of behaviour resurfaced and stories that she thought were long forgotten came to light. As the middle child, Ms D. finds herself in the role of mediator, just as she did in the past. This takes a lot of strength, especially as her nieces and nephews also want to have their say. Is it her job that is increasingly exhausting her, or is it her family circumstances? Ms D. suddenly no longer knows.

First, the counsellor discusses ways in which Ms D. can recharge her batteries during this exhausting time. It turns out that Ms D. has given up all her hobbies over the past few months. This is a typical but dangerous reaction to overload and excessive demands. Ms D. is glad that she was at least able to take the time for a consultation and is now keen to analyse how she can find a better balance between her duties and relaxation. She wants to exercise regularly again and maintain social contacts with people who are good for her. At the end of the initial consultation, Ms D. practises verbalising her own needs and setting better boundaries. "That would have made things a lot easier for me as a child," she concludes, "Even today, I still feel responsible for everything."

Result

The pension forecast and analysis of Ms D.'s financial situation and needs show that she can retire after her next birthday. This comes as a big surprise to her and she feels greatly relieved. She is keen to take advantage of the option of early retirement and continue doing the job she loves for a while longer. "And if my back starts to hurt too much, I'll retire," she decides. Thanks to the "homework" set by the advisor, she feels more independent and is visibly more relaxed. She has a better understanding of her limitations and even has the courage to resolve personal relationship issues.