New DU Program Helps Older Adults Reimagine Retirement

This year, 4.1 million Americans are turning 65 years old—more than any other year in history. This “silver wave” means more older adults than ever are also retiring and figuring out how to navigate their post-work life.

For some, that’s not as easy as it seems. “A lot of people who retire do so unsuccessfully,” says Lynn Wells, director of the Enrichment Program at University College. “They either retire but keep working in some capacity, or they retire without a plan. And they find themselves in a state of panic, wondering, ‘How am I going to fill my time?’ and ‘What is my purpose?’”

Starting this January, older adults in the Denver area will get help answering those questions through a new program offered by the Enrichment Program and the Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging (KIHA) called Retirement Reimagined.

Developed and taught by former Daniels College of Business professors Barbara Kreisman and Scott McLagan, the program includes a prerequisite overview course, “Managing the Transition,” followed by a series of optional workshops. Participants can pick and choose from topics to suit their needs and interests, such as “Finding Your Purpose,” “Building Relationships,” “Healthy Aging” and “Community Involvement and Social Impact.” 

Each workshop is designed to equip participants with a deeper understanding of the topic and practical tools to create a rewarding retirement. Workshops will also feature expert guest speakers, including former DU Chancellor Rebecca Chopp and KIHA clinical professor Eric Chess. 

Giving back in a meaningful way

The idea for the program came from Kreisman and McLagan’s own experiences with retirement. In 2017, Kreisman, who was associate dean of the Executive MBA Program at Daniels, was nearing retirement and looking for a coach to help her with the transition—and couldn’t find one.   

She dove into the research on the topic and created “Retirement Journeys,” which was offered through the Enrichment Program in 2022. It was well received and, wanting to extend that work, she and McLagan, who are married, applied for a fellowship program at the University of Chicago called the Leadership and Society Initiative. 

The 10-month program, which helps leaders explore the transition from career to a meaningful “next chapter,” gave Kreisman and McLagan the opportunity to develop a more comprehensive program, focused largely on purpose and social impact.   

“Something like 80 to 90% of older adults say they would like to get involved in the community and give back, but only about 20 to 25% do,” says McLagan. “So, what's the gap? The gap is there aren’t any good ‘on ramps.’ They don't really know where to start.” 

Retirement Reimagined fills that gap, he says, by helping people identify their passions and purpose, connecting them with organizations and opportunities, and offering a space to create their own interest-based “affinity groups.”

“You hear about these very accomplished people who retire and go to volunteer somewhere and end up stuffing envelopes,” says McLagan. “We want to help them step back and analyze their areas of interest to determine where and how they can best contribute and still use their skill sets.”   

Building community and combatting social isolation

One thing that Kreisman and McLagan have learned over the years is that the “secret sauce” in any learning environment—and especially important for retirees—is building a sense of community. 

“The struggle is real,” says McLagan. “They think, ‘Am I the only one in the world who is bored?’ ‘Am I the only one in the world missing my friends?’ ‘Am I the only one in the world that doesn’t know what to do with all this time?’ So, first, we want to make sure they know they are not alone.” 

Research bears this out, says KIHA Director Briony Catlow. “There are trillions of dollars invested in diseases like cancer and cardiac disease, but what the data clearly shows is that the number one risk for mortality among older adults is social isolation.”

For these reasons, it was decided early on that all of Retirement Reimagined sessions would be offered in person—at the Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science, where KIHA is housed.

There’s also a significant difference in how people connect online versus in person, says McLagan. Having taught in the Executive MBA program at Daniels for 17 years, he recalls how the relationships students made in their cohorts were often their most valuable takeaway. 

“During COVID, when we had to be online, it just wasn’t the same,” he says. “You know, people didn’t go out together after class. They didn’t have the informal conversations that happen on the side. So, if one of our objectives is building community, we have to do it in person.” 

Positioning Colorado and DU as healthy aging leaders

Colorado is the third fastest aging state in the country, and life expectancy is 80.4 years old and going up. “We have the potential, with programs like Retirement Reimagined, to become a national leader in engagement, health and activities for the aging population,” says Catlow.

In addition to its focus on community and social impact, the program stands out from other retirement programs in its flexibility and affordability. But the most important distinction, she says, is the quality of the instruction.

“Barb and Scott have put together such a rich curriculum—with decades of experience and research behind it—and I don’t know that that exists in any other program, certainly not for the cost,” Catlow says. 

“This is an expertly curated program that shows people that they still have the skill sets that made them successful that they can now apply to whatever they choose. They get to discover who they are today and who they want to be in the future. It's an incredible opportunity for people.”

Registration for Retirement Reimagined opens Dec. 9. To request more information, fill out this form.