Some individuals adjust well to retirement despite few material possessions and health deterioration, while others have many possessions and good health and are still unhappy. To determine the factors that influence an older adult's satisfaction with retirement, a measure of an individual's status was developed, and the resulting questionnaire was administered to 98 retirees. The retirees' activities were examined in relation to value orientation, health, and social activities. Those satisfied with their health had better health and experienced more positive feelings. Satisfaction was multi-faceted; the more satisfied individual was the person who was adapting and had possibly adapted well throughout life. Those over 75, perhaps feeling the effects of aging more severely, were generally less satisfied. (A copy of the Individual Status Assessment Questionnaire is appended.) (Author/JAC)