Looking at the process of early retirement on il... - Ataxia UK
Looking at the process of early retirement on ill health grounds, what are the pit-falls?
Hi Nigel
Oh goodness, what a pertinent question to my situation at the moment. I am going through exactly that process as we speak. I was a doctor in the NHS and after having very little time off sick in the past 10 years, I have been on sick-leave since June 2011. I have an idiopathic cerebellar ataxia which has been slowly progressive and things were getting too much. Following my own research about my options, I decided that early retirement on ill health grounds was exactly what I wanted to do. Following a meeting with my employers it was decided that this was the best route to go down. Occupational Health are in the process of collecting reports from my own doctors in order that they can complete an application to the Scootish Pensions Authority-although I am English I have lived in Glasgow for the past 16 1/2 years. I have been part of the NHS pension scheme since I first started working as a doctor in 2001.
I was working full-time before I went on sick-leave. I would say that filling the time initially was not too much of a problem-it was almost a bit of a novelty to have so much time off. However that is a bit more of a problem now. My mood can get quite low when i have nothing to do so it is important to try as hard as possible to keep myself occupied. I am very aware of the risk of becoming depressed and I am keen to minimise that risk as much as possible. Having said all of that I am in the process of selling my 2nd floor flat in Glasgow (there is no lift so the stairs have become a real issue) so that is keeping me busy! I do miss the people contact and working as part of a team on a day to day basis. And I miss the intellectual side and challenge aspect of the job.
On a positive note I strongly believe it has been entirely the correct decision for me. I am better able to plan my days and my weeks in an effort to manage my fatigue a lot more effectively. I have been doing daily exercise using a pedal exerciser and an exercise ball and whilst they are effective (I have moved from a high to a medium risk category for falls as assessed by my physio) they are very tiring and I would not be able to do them if I was still working. I just used to come home and slump in a chair, sometimes not making anything to eat because I was too tired. I am now in a much better position to do things to help me which, in turn, equips me better to live my life and do the things that I enjoy. I am fully aware that my income is going to reduce significantly but my quality of life is so much better.
I don't know what the future holds but at the moment at least it is a question of taking each day as it comes.
I hope this is helpful in answering your question from my perspective.
Harriet
thank you,
to fill my time I would be looking at volunteering at a CAB for 8 hours a week, as well as applying to be a School Governor.
But my current issue at present is that I am on trial for Racketeering (Fraud) in Italy which wouldn't read very well on any application form!
Are you going through the process of retirement at the moment?
trying to decied if I should ask............. don't feel bad enough most days, but have just fallen, again, at home, which makes me think perhaps I should give up work
It is an incredibly hard decision. I had started to fall in front of patients which really kick-started the decision-making process for me. What I am most pleased about is it was my decision to make. Nothing disastrous had happened at work and luckily no-one had been hurt. One of my main concerns was that was only a matter of time in which case the decision would've been taken out of my hands. I have been very fortunate to have a good friend with FA who went through the process a couple of years ago-she has been incredibly supportive and I can't thank her enough. Good Luck. if you do want to talk about it some more at any time, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
Harriet
I took early retirement from teaching.Intellectual simulation is important but we are bright enough to realise when our body is letting us down and we could be endangering others.That is why I gave up driving.All was not lost though.You can transfer those skills.Don't isolate and keep socialising. Don't beat yourself up.It takes A lot of guts to reach this decision.Get the paperwork done now. I do not regret it.Another option might be to do something less demanding.
Better to bow out with dignity rather than make a mistake and be pushed.
You could overcome the pitfalls. I have found I was catapulted into a different generation.ie remember you have a condition and that is why you may have to bow out.
Everyone assumes I am older because I cannot do anything physically.That is not the case.Marbles are still intact.So also you both.You are just entering a different phase.
