Mayor McGonagall has recognized the importance of keeping this proportion of the population healthy and productive. He has requested information regarding the factors that can keep older adults in the workforce and healthy as well as the feasibility of designing an intervention program to assist in this goal. This proposal will discuss the benefits and factors that can help keep older adults in the workforce and will make recommendations as to how to implement practical interventions that will assist to keep the elderly population active and productive. A brief discussion of the empirical evidence regarding the benefits of remaining active and working in the later stages of life is of assistance to identify practical interventions that can help design effective interventions aimed at promoting continued work.
Benefits and Disadvantages of Keeping Older Employees in the Workforce.
Continued physical activity in one's later years has been linked to a number of health benefits including increased longevity (Kahn, 1981), less declines in cardiovascular and pulmonary functioning (National Heart Foundation of Australia, 2006), a reduced risk of developing conditions like diabetes and osteoporosis (Nied & Franklin, 2002), decreases in mental health issues like depression (Watt & Cappeliez, (2000), reduced age-associated declines in cognition (Rohwedder &Willis;, 2010), and better overall life satisfaction (Davis & Friedrich, 2004). .
From an employer's perspective there are numerous advantages to retaining older workers that include, older workers being more dedicated, punctual, honest, very detail oriented, having more pride in their work than their younger counterparts, often having better organizational skills, having more experience with how to handle issues in the workforce, and having better communication skills (Center for Disease Control [CDC], 2012).