Can't slow me down

Staying on the job

The oldest baby boomers, who are now 70, hit the average retirement age of 63 several years ago. Now, Generation X is catching up with elder Gen Xers who are now in their mid-50s. These groups comprise the growing ranks of older workers at a time when the rate of younger workers in the workforce, ages 25 to 54, is actually shrinking.

By 2022, nearly 68 percent of 55- to 64-year-olds will be working, up from 64.5 percent in 2012, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For those ages 65 to 74, the rate is expected to reach about 32 percent, up from 27 percent in 2012. By comparison, the labor force participation rate for 25- to 54-year-olds was higher than their older co-workers at 81.4 percent in 2012, but is expected to drop slightly to 81 percent in 2022.

The Pew Research Center pegs the reasons behind the numbers on a variety of issues. Younger workers are staying in school and out of the workforce longer. And, the economy has forced many older workers, who might not have enough saved for retirement or who lost jobs during the Great Recession, to continue working. Older Americans' health also is improving, providing another reason to delay retirement.

And in many cases, they just enjoy the work. A 2015 Transamerica survey of workers and retirees found that 44 percent said they waited to retire because they liked their careers.

Assets at the table

Older workers bring plenty to the conference table in addition to knowledge and experience. According to a 2016 AARP report, half of the workers aged 45 to 64 have been at their current job for more than a decade. They can mentor new workers, serve as team players and team leaders and, with so much time on the job, often take the long-term view.

They handle tough jobs. More than 40 percent of workers aged 58 and up have physically demanding jobs or difficult working conditions, according to a 2016 report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research.

Despite stereotypes that they are slow to learn new things, they excel — even in fast-paced technology fields. A 2013 study from North Carolina State University found that older computer programmers know as much or even more than younger colleagues about recent software platforms.

Health concerns

While they bring plenty of advantages, aging workers also come with their own set of issues thanks in part to normal aging. Employers must be aware of these challenges as they work with older employees.

Seniors can take longer to recover from illnesses or injuries that might not set back their younger colleagues for as long. The process of aging, for instance, interferes with the healing that's required after surgery or when a bone is broken. Diabetes and the loss of elasticity in the skin can delay wound healing. The U.S. National Library of Medicine says it can take up to four times as long for aging skin to repair itself.

Pre-existing health conditions, side effects from medication and normal deterioration from aging also may make daily tasks more difficult for older workers. Joint range of motion declines with age. Worsening vision and hearing can affect everything from balance to driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, people 65 and older comprise 17 percent of all traffic fatalities in the United States.

Longer lives, chronic diseases

Chronic diseases, which worsen over time, also can present other setbacks. The risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes increase significantly as we age. In many cases, that can mean higher health care bills. Medical costs for people with diabetes, for instance, are double the amount when compared with those for people without diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association.

Health issues and old age can also lead to bigger waistlines. For baby boomers, a U.S. Census Bureau report found that the majority — 72 percent of men and 67 percent of women — are either overweight or obese. Excess weight can lead to a higher risk for other conditions such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, vascular disease, kidney disease and arthritis. Obesity also can limit mobility and day-to-day activities, restricting a person's physical abilities at work. These co-morbidities also affect recovery times and can impede vascular, soft tissue and bone recovery.

And, while fewer older workers choose to light up a cigarette compared to their younger colleagues, those who do smoke face a higher risk of related health issues such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, dementia, osteoporosis and senile macular degeneration, according to the Census report.

(Photo: Shutterstock)

New economic challenges

Those health challenges place new economic pressures on employers. When it comes to Workers' Compensation and other insurance claims, employees must overhaul established practices to better manage the needs of older workers. One-size-fits-all programs no longer work. Employers must have plans and strategies in place for hiring aging workers; developing effective wellness programs; and better managing injuries or illnesses. More than ever before, preventive and wellness programs can impact payout dollars and loss time.

Many employers are just beginning to respond. In a survey of the Society for Human Resource Management, 36 percent of respondents said their organization was beginning to examine policies and practices to handle the aging workforce. Another 19 percent said they'd just become aware of the potential need to make changes.

Aging workers are wonderful assets to the workplaces. With modifications, increased focus and awareness, and new management practices, employers can ensure that they continue to play valuable roles for as long as they wish.

10 tips to manage the aging workforce

As older workers reshape our workplaces, employers can make changes to better serve all workers and manage costs.

EMPLOYERS CAN:

• Launch wellness programs and encourage participation. The programs, popular with aging workers, should address the specific needs of an aging workforce and promote healthy living. When done right, the programs increase employees' overall wellness awareness and value. They also can help seniors, who may be facing financial challenges. What's more, they reduce medical costs. Harvard University researchers found that effective wellness programs can cut medical costs and absenteeism. For every $1 spent on wellness programs, for instance, medical costs decrease by about $3.27.

• Offer ongoing workplace physicals. They help keep all parties aware of changes and improvements in a worker's overall health status. By being more aware of potential physical limitations, the employer may be able to alter job duties to accommodate temporary or more permanent issues.

• Make workplace improvements. These include physical updates such as better lighting, slip resistant surfaces and handrails, along with flexible breaks, time constraints and rest periods, which can improve daily productivity.

• Be prepared for more Family and Medical Leave Act requests. Because older workers may need more time to rehabilitate from an injury or illness, they may require additional time off from work.

• Project costs based on an older worker's ability to recover. This should include the time it could take to both heal and any additional therapy. Employers should come up with a decision tree that covers different stages of an injury.

• Create a committee to discuss all older workers' claims early on. The group should address light duty, modified duty, immediate referrals to the appropriate medical doctor and more than the usual periodic follow ups.

• Evaluate potentially protracted losses. The scenarios will depend on the specific workforce and related job demands, but they should be done through early evaluations by nurses at a local clinic or through case management.

• Be aware of older workers' fundamental differences. Effective management takes into account their learning curves, cultural considerations, family commitments, communication preferences, problem-solving abilities and motivations.

• Create a work culture that embraces, appreciates and draws knowledge from all generations. Tap into the experiences of the older worker — an asset that's valuable to not only the company, but less experienced coworkers. (Just ask Robert De Niro's character in "The Intern.")

• Allow older workers who are recovering or rehabilitating with an injury to take a leadership or mentoring role. This takes advantage of their knowledge base, but also cuts down on loss time and workers' compensation payments.

Kari Williamson, BS, RN, LNCC, CCM (kari@mkcmedicalmanagement.com) is the president of MKC Medical Management, and works with attorneys, insurance examiners and others within the medical-legal-insurance space to better manage and understand claim issues.