Health and Well-Being in Older Workers: Capacity Change with Age

This chapter will consider health and well-being among older workers and in particular the evidence for capacity change with age. Perhaps the most significant implication for older workers and their employers is the potential change in work capacity with age. While this is by no means universal, it is widely recognised that physical, mental and social capabilities may undergo some degree of change (TUC 2006; Scottish Executive 2005). This raises a variety of concerns, particularly in the area of the health and safety of older workers. However, the extent to which potential change in work capacity with age affects health and safety depends to an extent upon the nature of the work. For example, those involved in sedentary clerical work may be less affected than those who are involved in work of a very physical nature. In addition, while a series of changes have been noted to generally occur across the life course, it is now widely recognised that very few capacity changes are directly related to decline arising from chronological age alone. Most have a strong environmental component, and can be modified or reduced. Indeed, with the exception of sensory deterioration, which does seem to occur along a more or less fixed chronological continuum, albeit one that is also subject to some environmental modification, most so-called age-related decline is in fact closely linked to environment and behaviour.