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Benefits Of Retirement For Retirement Essay

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In today’s society, many Americans have developed a plan for life that all people are supposed to follow. First comes adolescence, school, work, marriage, children, all leading up to retirement. Although retirement is one of the most romanticized moments of an individual’s life, few Americans understand what retirement entails. Retirement has several definitions, each contingent upon various perspectives. The American Government views retirement as when an individual has left their career work and is of 64 years of age, thus making them eligible for Social Security. In the eyes of the “average” American, retirement begins when they stop working and enjoy the freedoms that come follow. Both definitions, glorify retirement to nonretired individuals, and neglect the struggles faced by senior citizens. There is no one common American retirement because of class barriers, health restrains, and ageism.
Despite the fact that every American citizen receives government retirement assistance in the form of Social Security and Medicare, not all are given the opportunity to retire from the workforce. Not all elderly Americans can afford to retire because of their economic restraints. Retirement has become a socioeconomic barrier separating the economic classes between those who can and cannot afford to resign from work. The 2010 U.S. census brief reported that only 10.4% of senior citizens, ages 85-94, resided in skilled nursing facilities (Werner 2010, p. 18). Despite the necessity for

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