Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.
To collect information on how older people feel about their retired situation and the way society treats them.
Main Topics:
Attitudinal/Behavioural Questions Reasons for recent moves, satisfaction with accommodation, reasons for any dissatisfaction, proximity of children, assessment of personal state of health, problems of mobility and/or illness. Tasks respondent can do without help, details of activities respondent has had to give up in recent years (reasons), new activities respondent has taken up (reasons). Respondent's activities over last two weeks and comparison with two years ago, reasons for change, source of encouragement or help for going out, experience of and attitude to holidays. Person who does most domestic chores, activities respondents could not perform unaided, source of help. Respondents were asked to agree/disagree with a number of statements about receiving help. Experience of home help/social security benefits (reasons for (non)application and (dis)satisfaction), experience of and (dis)satisfaction with social or welfare workers, frequency of visits to doctor, assessment of doctor's interest. Suggested improvements for treatment of old people in shops and on buses. Experience of loneliness, lack of care. Details of respondent's personal worries. New friends made in recent years (how met), ease of keeping arrangements. Good and bad aspects of respondent's/spouse's retirement. Respondents were asked to agree/disagree with a number of statements about retirement, type of activity respondent looks forward to. Details of help respondent has given or would like to give to others. Membership of clubs or organisation. Special questions asked only of widows and widowers: length of widowhood, details of help received and respondent's attitude towards help, whether in receipt of any income other than old age pension and supplementary benefit, suggested help government could provide, main way respondent feels s/he has changed. Background Variables Age, sex, marital status, number of children, social class, car ownership, length of residence, distance away of previous residence, type of accommodation, tenure, other household members, employment status, occupation, job history.
Drawn from 25 local authority areas south of the Caledonian Canal. 4 polling districts selected from each area with probability proportional to number of electors. Two addresses were chosen from each polling district on a random basis
Face-to-face interview
