The Amish community has a unique approach to retirement and pensions, significantly different from the mainstream American society.
Amish Retirement
Unlike the average American who typically retires around 68, the Amish don’t have a fixed retirement age.
Their transition to retirement often begins in the late forties or early fifties. This process is not about stopping work completely but rather shifting from full-time responsibilities to less demanding roles within their community and family.
For instance, older Amish men may engage in less physically strenuous tasks like mentoring younger community members or assisting with less demanding aspects of farm work.
Similarly, aging Amish women might focus on activities like sewing quilts or imparting skills to the younger generation.
No Conventional Pensions or Social Security
Amish people do not participate in the Social Security system, meaning they neither contribute to it nor receive benefits from it. They don’t have a pension.
Instead, they rely on their own savings and the support of their community and family for their retirement years.
In the Amish culture, the family and community play a vital role in taking care of their elderly members.
Elderly Care in the Amish Community
The concept of retirement homes is virtually non-existent in Amish society. Instead, they have a strong tradition of caring for their elderly within their own homes or community. This might involve building additions to their existing homes to accommodate aging relatives.
In some cases, they build a “dawdy haus” (small houses) on their property for elderly family members.
This allows the elderly to live independently while still being close to their family for support and care.
Amish elderly often play a significant role in the family, contributing through childcare, sharing wisdom, and maintaining strong family bonds.
Close Family Ties
Imagine you’re part of a big, close-knit family where everyone – from your grandparents to your little cousins – helps each other out.
That’s how the Amish live. From the time they are born until they get old, they stick together and support each other.
Everyone in the family has a role. The kids might help with chores, the adults work on things like farming or building houses, and the grandparents might give advice or look after the grandkids.
As people get older in the Amish community, they don’t just retire and step back. They stay involved, share their experience, and continue to help out, just in lighter ways.
Looking after the elderly is just part of life, not seen as a burden.
The Amish believe that just like parents take care of their children when they’re young, children should also take care of their parents when they get older.
Amish adults don’t hesitate to care for their aging parents, just as their parents naturally cared for them when they were kids.
So, in the Amish culture, life is a full circle with everyone taking care of each other from start to finish.
Amish Retirement Communities
In very rare cases, some Amish seniors might move to nursing homes, particularly if they require specialized medical care that cannot be provided at home.
However, this is not common and usually happens in culturally sensitive environments like Mennonite-run facilities.
Wrapping It Up
In summary, the Amish have a distinct approach to retirement and elder care, focusing on family and community support rather than formal retirement plans or institutional care. Everyone takes care of the older members with respect and love without relying on help from people outside their community.