Recently, I spoke to a colleague by the bins who was in the process of throwing away his books, broken hearted, because he was set to retire the next day. “And what are you going to do now?” It was a tough question to answer, as for years he had worked very hard in the medical department, taught a lot, and now there was nothing. Off to seek a new purpose in life.
How many retirees fall into the same existential hole? A recent Belgian study among people over 60 showed that 8 percent suffers from some form of self-harm, such as excessive drinking, self-mutilation, and medication abuse. It mostly affects people who are very lonely. This is in contrast to old people who are very healthy until old age precisely because of the strong social context in which they live and where they make a meaningful contribution. That is meaningfulness, something that is an existential problem among the elderly.
Written off
And for many older colleagues, that problem starts before they even retire, as described in the article ‘Wie oud is telt niet meer mee’ (‘If you’re old, you no longer count’). At the MUMC+, many older employees are also slowly being ‘written off’. Despite their years of experience, a critical attitude is often quickly seen as difficult, inflexible, and uncreative. “We’ll just wait until that person retires,” is a not-unheard of reaction to a proposed change. That’s a shame, as many older people feel pushed to the sidelines, so that retirement can sometimes feel like a ‘release’. And that, even though they have dedicated themselves with passion for years, and given much of their lives to their work. They experience a feeling of ingratitude, and sense a lack of respect for their work.
Unacceptable
If we are committed to diversity as a university and a hospital, then age discrimination is unacceptable. We want to learn from other cultures and, as UM, we are a strongly internationally oriented community. In my work in Aachen, I see many patients from various countries including Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Congo, and also from Germany. It is an enriching part of my work to be able to communicate with so many different people, although it is not always easy. Students I take with me are impressed by the stories of, often traumatised, individuals who have developed physical complaints due to stress. In Germany, but also in many other countries, the retirement age is not a deadline – you can continue working in a way that suits you. Lifelong learning really does exist here, as does teaching after age 67.
As a university community, we should do more to shape lifelong learning and teaching. Administrative hurdles and, of course, funding get in the way now, and creative solutions to include retirees in the continuing process of lernen and lehren are lacking. A student recently asked when lifelong learning stops. Good question. The answer is never. It only ends at death.
Let’s adopt ‘lifelong learning goes hand in hand with lifelong teaching’ as a new slogan. This will do justice to age diversity and can create an age continuum where everyone can choose to continue working after retirement.
Ger Koek, Associate Professor FHML and Gastroenterology-Hepatology Specialist