Technology for Adaptive Aging (2004) / Chapter Skim
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6 Technology and Employment
6 Technology and Employment
Pages 150-178
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From page 150... ...
A number of demographic trends -- including the aging of the population; changes in the labor-force participation of younger workers; the aging of the baby boom cohort; and changes in retirement policies, programs, and behavior -- are fostering new interest in older workers. By 2010 the number of workers age 55+ will be about 26 million, a 46 percent increase since 2000, and by 2025 this number will increase to approximately 33 million.
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. Programs like these may be especially beneficial for working caregivers who often need to decrease their work hours or have flexible work schedules to meet their caregiving responsibilities.
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SOURCE: Board of Trustees, Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund (1997, p.
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the potential implications of aging for work and work environments; (3) the technological and social characteristics of existing jobs and work environments; and (4)
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From page 154... ...
Increased levels of education should be beneficial for older workers, as higher levels of education are generally linked to higher income and increased employment opportunities. Occupations requiring a bachelor's degree are expected to increase by about 22 percent by 2010, and all but two (air traffic controllers and nuclear power reactor operators)
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. SOURCE: Clinical Geriatrics (1999, 8, p.
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From page 156... ...
In sum, health status, gender, race, educational background, cultural traditions, and economic circumstances may all influence employability and the adoption of new technologies that might prolong engagement in paid work. Age-Related Changes in Abilities Here we provide a brief summary of age-related changes in abilities that have relevance to work performance.
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From page 157... ...
TECHNOLOGY AND EMPLOYMENT 157 Computer Use 100 90 80 Female 70 60 Male Percent 50 40 30 20 10 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 Age (centered 3-year moving average) Internet Use 100 90 80 Female 70 60 Male Percent 50 40 30 20 10 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 Age (centered 3-year moving average)
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. These changes in motor abilities may make it difficult for older people to perform tasks such as assembly work that requires fine manipulation or to use common input devices such as a mouse or keyboard.
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Changes in cognitive abilities Learning new skills or procedures Recall of complex operating procedures or instructions Time-sharing; performance of concurrent activities Locating information on complex displays Performance of paced tasks Declines in strength and endurance Reduced ability to perform physically demanding jobs (e.g., manual materials handling, construction) for older people.
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From page 160... ...
Highly paced work or tasks that emphasize speed of performance, such as data entry tasks, may also be unsuitable for older workers. Aging and Work Performance The postulated relationships between age-related changes in sensory, motor, and cognitive abilities and work performance discussed above are primarily speculations.
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. General projections regarding the labor force can also be used to gain some understanding of employment opportunities for older people.
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. growth include management and financial occupations, sales, office and administrative support operations, and technology maintenance and repair occupations, especially within the telecommunications industry (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2002)
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. Telecommuting may be particularly appropriate for older adults, as they are interested in alternative work schedules and are more likely than younger people to be "mobility impaired." Telecommuting allows for more flexible work schedules and more autonomy than the traditional workplace and is more amenable to part-time work.
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From page 164... ...
As discussed above, computer technology also makes work at home a more likely option and allows for more flexible work schedules. Finally, as we discuss below, advances in technology may also help older adults with disabilities or impairments Technology to Support Computer Input As shown in Table 6-2, there are a number of adaptive technologies that may make continued work more viable for older people, especially those with chronic conditions or disabilities.
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From page 165... ...
Personal amplifying devices and amplified telephone receivers can be also used to aid persons with hearing loss. Amplification devices can also be attached to the computer.
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Voice recognition software, onscreen keyboard programs, or touch screens may be beneficial for persons who have limited ability to use traditional input devices such as a mouse or keyboard because of hand or finger limitations. "Sticky keys" allow a user to execute commands with one hand that involve simultaneous key pressing.
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From page 167... ...
Acceptance and Use of Technology by Older Adults A commonly held belief is that older people are resistant to change and have negative attitudes toward the use of technology. However, the available data dispute this stereotype and indicate that, in general, older people are receptive to using technology if they perceive the technology as useful, if the technology is easy to use, and if they are provided with adequate training and support (Czaja, 1997)
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From page 168... ...
Also, when compared with younger adults on performance measures, older adults often achieve lower levels of performance. However, the literature also indicates that training interventions can be successful in terms of improving performance and it points to the importance of matching training strategies with the characteristics of the learner.
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From page 169... ...
This is not simply a matter of cultural expectations; the lockstep template both shapes and is shaped by social policies still geared to full-time continuous paid work as the key to economic and occupational success, and is crucial for achieving eligibility for disability benefits, unemployment insurance, and pensions. Age-related role expectations on the part of American employers and workers themselves mean that they are less likely than younger workers to participate in education and training (Hamil-Luker and Uhlenberg, 2002)
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From page 170... ...
retirement. For example, software programs could be developed to facilitate the retirement planning process by making retirement planning information, tools, and models easily available so that workers can make informed choices about issues such as finances, second careers, (re-)
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What can we conclude about the changing nature of retirement planning and its implications for retirement behavior? The growing heterogeneity of the work force, in terms of age, gender, and ethnic background, along with the changing social contract linking job security with seniority, underscore the fact that the traditional lockstep career-retirement template is increasingly obsolete.
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people who move into or out of various health impairments to adjust their work to these new circumstances, to prevent the onset of impairments in the first place, and to lessen the work load and work hours of those unwilling or unable to put in the time or effort currently expected of "regular" employment. The issue is therefore how to use technological applications both to accommodate the worker to existing job arrangements and to accommodate existing job arrangements to workers' shifting needs and preferences.
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From page 173... ...
Studies are needed to identify the locus of the age differences in work performance and how workplace and job design and training and technological interventions can help mitigate them. We also need sound research-based information about the impact of technology on an aging work force and how technology might be used to promote employment opportunities for older people.
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Identifying factors associated with thoughtful planning, including various technology applications, can help identify what facilitates, motivates, or constrains effective retirement exits that are gradual rather than total. A key research agenda is understanding how plans for retirement reflect the intersections of choice processes (agency)
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. The 1997 annual report of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund.
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. Federal Interagency Forum on Aging Statistics.
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. Determinants of adult age differences on synthetic work performance.
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Bethesda, MD: Watson Wyatt Worldwide. Zandri, E., and Charness, N
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