The phrase “growing old together” has taken on a new meaning forprofessionals in workers’ compensation in recent years. Americansare literally growing older in their jobs than ever before. Infact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), between1977 and 2007, employment of workers 65 and over increased 101%, anupward trend that’s expected to continue over time.

These older workers bring to the workforce the benefits of deepexperience and extensive industry knowledge. They also bring agreat many challenges when it comes to managing their illness orinjuries.

The aging of the workforce is a trend that can’t be ignored byworkers’ compensation and insurance professionals; rather, we mustembrace this growing employee population and understand how best toproactively manage existing conditions, help employers preventworkplace injuries through small adjustments and, most importantly,manage the care of the older worker who is injured to avoidcomplications and facilitate a faster return to work.