age & disability present work, health & life predicaments t

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Social Engagement Productive Aging A Private
Sector View of Aging Disability
A Mini-Conference of the 2005 White House
Conference on Aging July 21 - 22nd, 2005
Kenneth Mitchell, Ph.D Vice President Corporate
RTW Development
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Principles of Productive Aging

• Age is not a Disability
• Aging is not a Disease

Impairment ? Disability
Age Disability present work, health life
predicaments that can be anticipated, avoided and
solved
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Two Points of Reference But are they Different?

• Aging with a Disability
• Range of Impairments (1)
• Physical, Sensory, Mobility, Affective
  Cognitive Impairments most common
• Est. 18 of Boomer age group report a medical
  condition effecting ADL and work capacity.
• Social Stigma/Employment Bias 21 million report
  some type of work disability(1)
• Social Isolation dependence
• Developed long term adaptive skills
• Cost and access to healthcare
• Financial security post work

• Aging to a Disability
• Range of Impairments (2)
• Injury chronic disease most common
• Musculoskeletal (25), Cancer (17), Circulatory
  (8), Behavioral Health (7)
• Lost time incidences STD LTD
• Extended time off work
• Learning new skills
• Physical endurance
• Environmental conditions
• Job satisfaction
• Financial security post work
• Cost and access to healthcare

1 The US Disability Data Table 2003 American
Community Survey CPAS UCSF San Francisco,
CA
2. The Health Productivity of the Aging
American WorkForce UnumProvident
Corporation, July 2005
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Short (STD) and Long (LTD) Term Disability by Age
Source UnumProvident Disability Database,
2002-2004.
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STD Duration of Lost Time by Age Group
Source UnumProvident Disability Database,
2002-2004.
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Most Frequent Long Term Impairments x Age
Source UnumProvident Disability Database,
2002-2004.
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Industry x Impairment (Short Term) gt 40 years
Source UnumProvident Disability Database,
2002-2004.
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Age Disability Influences The Politics of
Incapacity

• Definitions of Disability Who is
  Disabled?....Who is Not?....For How Long?
• 67 different Federal definitions of disability
  and the disabled individual
• Private disability plans, as well state workers
  compensation and military service related
  disability benefits have negotiated definitions
  of eligibility coupled with varying levels of
  medical evidence needed as starting and ending
  points
• Definitions and Application of Age
• Age is only a numberor is it?.... Negotiated
  age thresholds start and stop program benefits
• Traditional expectations of age related
  functional capacity are evolving based on
  lifestyle changes, risk analysis/reduction and
  new medical technology. Morbidity and mortality
  rates are in decline expect for obesity related
  conditions.
• Morphing Benefits The Future of Political
  Body Checking.
• The Portability Generation Gap
• Changes in Entitlement and Reward Mind Sets
• Direct Contribution Plan (DCP) vs Direct Benefit
  Plan (DBP)
• Health Savings Account (HSA) vs Retiree Medical
• Employers moving away from traditional disability
  retirement
• The economics of Retiree Medical/Pensions
  Employers unwilling or unable to cover liability

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Age Disability Influences The Politics of
Incapacity (cont.)

• Work to Retirement Transitions (Cliff
  retirements to Incremental adjustments)
• Flexible work site and accommodations The
  future
• Inflexible benefits and productivity
  disincentives The past
• The Care Givers Paradox (Taking Care of Child
  to Spouse to Eldercare Business)
• Reduced productivity and increased work
  disruption New Work Life Balance options
• Progression from care giver to disability
  beneficiary (est. 9)
• Cost of Healthcare Insurance and Access to
  Income Protection
• What is the real cost and impact of health and
  long term care on productivity?
• Increase in voluntary benefits creates both an
  employer costs savings and employee access to
  benefits, but may invite potential gaps in
  appropriate services and care, i.e. employee
  unable or unwilling to pay for benefit. i.e.
  Rolling the health and disability benefit dice.

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Healthcare Costs by Age x Risk
Source Musich, McDonald, Hirschland, Edington,
Disease Managements Health Outcomes 2002
10(4) 251-258 University of Michigan Health
Management Research Center. Used with
permission. Dee Edington, Ph.D. University of
Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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Social Engagement Productive Aging Connections

• Productive Aging
• Having the ability and incentive to create
• The ability to achieve positive outcomes

• Social Engagement
• Being a part of the community peers
• Not marginalized within the culture

Connections

• Increased social engagement improves ADL
  function, reduces degree of disablement and
  increases reported life satisfaction
• Access to health care mobility transportation
  are keys to continued productivity through and
  beyond retirement
• Continuing ones spiritual life through an
  accessible community of faith is a contributing
  factor to independence and overall well being
• Engaging in education and skill development
  through telecommunication broadens productivity
  options at same time opens social networks
• Realigned restructured social networks serve as
  potential productivity outlets as life changes
  occur

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Aging Disability Challenges to the Private
Sector

• Protect Work Capacity of the Worker
• Sudden loss of work capacity due to health
  crisis
• Eroding functional work capacity due to normal
  aging
• Eroding functional work capacity due to
  chronic disease

• Avoid Isolation of the Individual, Family and
  Co-workers
• Assume proactive posture to aging and
  disability collisions
• Develop effective coping with onset of
  functional limitations
• to maintain independence
• Expect the rules to change and adapt

• Maintain a Workforce that Sees Productivity as
  Possible
• Create flexible work site policies and
  practices
• Build a culture that rewards continuous
  productivity
• Public and private partnerships need to
  maintain access to healthcare that supports
  continued social engagement and life long
  productivity

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Public Private Partnerships Points of Action

• Hiring Retention Incentives - Create tangible
  incentives for employers to hire and retain older
  workers with physical, sensory, cognitive or
  affective impairments that impact long term work
  capacity
• Protecting Work Capacity - Support employer tax
  incentives within healthcare benefits to
  promote risk reduction and protect work capacity
  of older worker
• Employer Medical Cost Relief - Provide a
  blended private/public healthcare insurance
  program for employees within a defined transition
  period between work and retirement (e.g. Ages 55
  - 65)
• Aligning Retirement Benefits Restructure
  retirement benefit programs that reflect the
  need, desire and capacity for continued
  productivity without punishing the employer or
  the employee.
• Portability of Benefits - Build benefit plans
  that move with the individual to invite and
  reinforce both independence and planning within
  multiple careers, jobs or changing life
  situations. Life is fluid

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The Productive Aging Disability Balancing Act
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• I cant get old Im working
• As long as youre working
• You stay young
• George Burns
• (1895 1995)