[The impact of retirement on the quality of life of the elderly].

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how the elderly experience retirement and the effects of retirement on quality of life. Content analysis was on thematic categories obtained through semistructured interviews with elderly retirees who attended the Geriatrics Department at Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual--São Paulo (Brazil). Six individuals were interviewed. Positive attitudes facing retirement were predominant. The meaning given to retirement and planning skills were essential to understand the retirement experience. Furthermore, the change in environments, emptying of routines, and the availability of food are factors that appear closely related to the changes in eating habits and in body weight. Therefore, retirement is a time marked by changes in the social, emotional and nutritional aspects of life for the elderly, with either positive or negative effects, depending on the meanings that were attributed.