An article of mine was recently published in Occupational Health magazine. It’s been split into three parts to make it more readable and the first part follows. Click back here soon for Part 2.
Introduction
Currently more than 20% of workers in developed nations are 60+ years old
When does old age occur? At what age does an individual become too old to carry on their current job tasks due to negative ageing effects on their neuromusculoskeletal system? In 44 BC Cicero, a Roman Philosopher and Statesman, declared that you must not confuse old age with illness and proclaimed the many virtues of increasing age. The concept of ‘successful ageing’ has been discussed for several decades (Havighurst 1963, Palmore 1979, Williams and Wirths 1965). So why is it in today’s society ‘ageing’ itself and the impact on organizations of employing an ageing workforce often gets a bad press?
In today’s society the topic of ‘ageing populations’ is increasingly researched and publicised. This is not surprising considering that at present a little >20% of workers in developed nations are >60 years old but it is predicted that this figure will rise to around 33% of >60 years of age by 2050 (United Nations Publications 2007). In the UK it is predicted that one-third of the population will be >60 by 2033 (Office for National Statistics). This change, due to lowered birth rates and people living longer, results in a reduction in the economically active population (J Crawford 2011). It will have a major impact on society and the economy in general and place challenges on Occupational Health Professionals and Employers alike, in sustaining a healthy and productive ‘ageing’ working population.
There is a growing tendency to challenge what it means to be an ‘older worker’. An emerging view of maintaining ability, developing potential and continued competence, rather than focusing on ‘age’ per se is taking place (Ross 2010). This complements the ‘Life Course Approach’ discussed by Crawford (2011) which considers that we are ageing from the time we are born until the time we die and the general message engendered by Black (2008) of ‘think capability not incapacity’.
Since the introduction of the Equalities Act in 2010, the removal of a forced retirement age will allow an individual to be assessed on whether they are able to cope with the demands of their work. This change in legislation complements our current understanding that a large variation exists regarding the effects of ageing on an individual (Crawford 2011) and allows a decision at an individual level to be made on whether an employee is fit to continue working after a certain age.
Other government initiatives such as the Health, Work and Well-being at Work scheme and EU programmes such as the plan to increase participation of older people in society in general, (making specific reference to work as a means to achieve this) (Ross 2010), will also be putting this subject firmly on the political agenda.
Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMDs) and the Ageing Process
WMSDs are multifactorial and influenced by such a large number of individual, psychosocial and physical factors. Is it therefore possible to predict or understand what impact the ageing process may have on WMSDs? This article will consider the positive and negative impacts of employing an older worker. It will aim to highlight how an organization can help support the ‘ageing population’ to help sustain a productive and healthy workforce with regards to neuromusculoskeletal health.
To be continued in Part 2…
