By Michelle Despres — Director, Clinical Education, PT, CEAS II, REAS, CETS
With the increase of older employees in the workforce, addressing their physical health and well-being, along with injury recovery, is more important than ever. It’s essential to recognize the unique challenges faced by aging workers when a workplace injury occurs.
Success in this area is driven by understanding the intersection of aging workers, psychosocial factors, effective physical therapy interventions, and the importance of proper management.
The Aging Worker
From 2004 to 2024, the percentage of workers in the workforce, aged 55+, increased from 15.6% to 23.1%.1Today, we see more individuals who are 65+ working well into their later years. This demographic shift presents unique challenges in terms of physical health, particularly with age-related declines in strength and endurance.
Over 75% of all workers have at least one chronic condition, such as arthritis, diabetes, or hypertension.2 While aging workers experience fewer workplace injuries, their recovery is longer, and claims are more costly. As chronic pain and musculoskeletal disorders impact their productivity and quality of life, understanding and addressing these challenges is crucial for supporting their recovery journey and creating a supportive and inclusive work environment.
Psychosocial Factors and Injuries
A recent study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute sheds light on the psychosocial factors tied to knee and shoulder injuries. Factors such as fear avoidance, negative coping, and negative mood play a significant role in physical health and recovery.3
For instance, workers with shoulder injuries in physical therapy experiencing these three psychosocial factors had a 33% lower change in functional improvements. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that aging workers with high job demands and low job support have twice the risk of injury as their younger counterparts.4
Addressing these psychosocial factors is essential for effective injury management and prevention.
One Call’s At-Risk Program
One Call’s At-Risk Program is a proactive initiative designed to identify and support workers at risk of delayed recovery. By leveraging data, analytics and machine learning, the program can pinpoint individuals who may be more susceptible to exceeding industry benchmarks for physical therapy. Overall, we identify a small percentage of cases that are at risk, and of those, almost 50% involve costly, complex shoulder injuries.
The program has proven its effectiveness in clinically managing physical therapy care. In fact, 66% of those managed through One Call’s At-Risk Program achieved successful discharge within industry benchmarks, highlighting the program’s positive impact.5
Clinical Oversight in Physical Therapy
Clinical oversight is a critical component of effective physical therapy interventions. Ensuring that physical therapy is administered correctly and consistently can significantly improve patient outcomes. Best practices include regular assessments, personalized treatment plans, and ongoing monitoring of progress.
Our clinical team — comprised of chiropractors and physical, occupational and certified hand therapists — has a combined 300+ years of experience. Working in partnership with our extensive provider network, they collaborate to ensure that patients receive the care they need to recover fully and return to work safely.
Real-Life Impact
A patient over the age of 55 suffers a shoulder injury on the job. As a driver, age-related neuromuscular changes can influence recovery and lead to a decrease in endurance, power and torque. Slower reflexes, joint stiffness, or loss of flexibility are also potential risk factors for recovery.
Lisa Rush, a physical therapist with over 30 years of experience and a clinical reviewer at One Call, collaborates with clinicians to ensure medically appropriate care and treatment for injured workers that accounts for age-related comorbidities. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing the normal changes that come with aging, comorbidities and medication considerations.
“Clinical goals need to encompass the higher functional demands of the older working population, surpassing routine day-to-day activities,” says Rush.
Empowering the Aging Workforce
Supporting aging workers requires a holistic approach that addresses both physical and psychosocial factors. By implementing systems like One Call’s At-Risk Program and ensuring clinical oversight in physical therapy, care is delivered efficiently and medically appropriately, driving return-to-work outcomes and optimizing claim costs.
Throughout every recovery journey, let’s prioritize the well-being of our aging workforce and empower them to thrive.
Sources:
1 https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/civilian-labor-force-summary.htm
2 https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/aging/about/index.html
3 https://www.wcrinet.org/files/documents/wcri7084.pdf
4 https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/217002
5 2024 One Call Data
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