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A Canadian Response to "Older Workers and Disability Management"
Response by Liz R. Scott, PhD
The article on aging brought up some interesting points for consideration in the field of disability management. The demographics certainly indicate the need for attention to the issue of aging and the workplace. While focus on this matter should not detract from the necessity of attention to the emerging workforce of young workers that have a higher incidence of disabilities it is clear that aging influences do require some investigation and innovative solutions. The response to the article is in the same section order as it was composed.
Demographic Review
The demographic review does indeed indicate the relevance of the issue of aging workers in the workplace. In addition, several provinces do not have a mandatory retirement age and advances in medical technology are improving life expectancy rates, increasing the need for focused attention on the issue of aging workers in the workplace.
Risk of Injury
The data indicates older workers are having 35% fewer accidents according to the cited sources. The authors go on to say the duration of absence is longer for older workers. However, even though subjectively this makes sense the data is not provided to support this statement. It would be interesting to evaluate this statement from a data perspective and in fact take the analysis of that data point further to determine if in fact the employers response to an older worker becoming injured had more influence on the return to work date then the actual recovery from the injury itself. Societal attitudes have a lot to do with return to work offers and many people hold preconceived notions around aging that may or may not be correct. The stereotypes of aging do not necessarily apply to all "older workers" however they are often presumptions made based on age.
Physiological and Psychological Consequences of Aging
The Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety may not be the best authority for health related aging changes. Aging is an individual process and the most important variable is how well the person has taken care of their health. Each injury or disability needs to be looked at individually to determine capabilities versus job demands. The maturity level of an older worker is often a positive influencer in the return to work process. This is particularly true in psychological claims where life experiences and (unfortunately) practice can make recovery quicker. Strategies such as ergonomics and appropriate training programs are clearly beneficial for all workers not just aging workers.
Accommodating Older Workers
The suggestions offered in the article for this section are relevant for all workers in the workplace. It is clearly essential to focus on ergonomics and the fit of the worker to the work. It is additionally important to ensure that prospective workers have the inherent capabilities to perform the job that they are being hired to perform. The difficulty is once the worker is in the job there is a need for personal accountability to maintain one's health and fitness level, encouragement from the workplace to maintain a level of health would be a positive addition for all participants in the work environment. In fact, for younger workers who have not had as much exposure to manual labour and do not as often possess the same level of work ethics or psychological need for job security, it is more important to have programs that can engage them in the work environment.
The Argument for Comprehensive Disability Management Programs
Again in this section I find myself looking for innovative solutions. Comprehensive Disability Management Programs are a necessity in all workplaces for all workers but the question remains are alternate strategies required for older workers.
Disability Management Solutions
It is positive to see that the disability management solutions offer prevention as well as return to work aspects. In our experience at Organizational Solutions we have found these strategies to be solid for all workers not just aging workers. It is essential that prevention and ergonomics start to become integrated into equipment design, purchasing, and the production process. Too often these aspects are not considered until a disability has already occurred. In the Ôreturn to work' phase it is essential to ensure a well thought out return to work plan that incorporates appropriate treatment to progress the individual to function. This is where many return to work programs fail: the plan is established based on the desire to get back to work with little thought given to the ultimate necessity of treatment to ensure recovery to the level of functionality.
Discussion and Conclusion
The conclusions support the thoughts of the paper although I am not certain why a new topic "a workforce that has a larger proportion of women than in the past" has entered into this article's conclusion or what relevance it has to aging other than everyone is aging including women.
Clearly, the comments on the acquisition and retention of valued workers are very important in the area of workplace health and disability management. Employers and employees all benefit when people are treated as valued members of a productive team and contributions recognized. Being disabled does not minimize the value of the contribution and this should be communicated clearly during and following absence.
Conclusively, while it was an interesting discussion on aging and disability management in general the article failed to offer new strategies. The field of disability management in general will require the evolution of innovative solutions for all members of the workforce taking into consideration the individual characteristics of each one.
Contact for correspondence
Liz R. Scott PhD, MEng, MBA, MSc, BSc, COHN-C, CRSP, CDMP, RN is Principal of Organizational Solutions a Disability Management firm that provides a sick leave adjudication product and assist employer's with a variety of disability issues. Liz has been recognized for award winning cost reduction results, "best practice" program designs, and ability to solve a complex variety of disability concerns.
Email lscott@orgsoln.com
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