Welcome to the Spring, 2006 issue of HealthBeat! HealthBeat will be transitioning to an electronic newsletter after the first few issues. To sign up to receive the electronic version of HealthBeat, or to give us feedback on what you read, visit www.med.umich.edu/secure/mworks/feedback

Safety & Ergonomics

Responding to an Era of Aging Workers

As the Baby Boomers mature, the number of workers aged 55 and older grows at twice the rate of the general workforce. Employers can more effectively harness the wisdom and experience of older workers by understanding the dynamics of the aging process and taking steps to help older workers stay safe and productive. With age come changes in body functions and the possible onset of age related diseases like diabetes, coronary heart disease, osteoarthritis and depression.

Employers can counteract the effects of these diseases by offering health promotion and disease management programs, educating employees about the importance of complying with treatment recommendations and providing incentives for good health habits. They can also help employees practice good health habits by encouraging use of stairways and walking routes and providing healthy food choices in cafeterias and vending machines.

MWorks’ physician, Susan Blitz, M.D., notes, “Multiple studies have demonstrated that keeping fit with good nutrition and regular physical activity not only improves physical functioning but keeps the mind in shape as well.”

“Aging workers also experience changes in vision, hearing, physical strength and balance,” says Sue Bade, MPH OTR, MWorks’ senior occupational therapy clinical specialist and cofounder of the Ageonomics™ training program. The Ageonomics program teaches employers how to make simple workplace changes like those noted below to reduce age-related injuries.

For more information about the Ageonomics training program, visit www.med.umich.edu/mworks/training.htm

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