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The impact of aging on work disability and return to work: insights from workers' compensation claim records
Janneke Berecki-Gisolf1, Fiona J Clay, Alex Collie
1Monash Injury Research Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. janneke-berecki-gisolf@monash.edu.au
Objective:
To assess the impact of an aging workforce on (1) the incidence of work-related injury or disease and (2) the return-to-work (RTW) process.
Methods:
Workers' compensation claims (from 2001 to 2004) from Victoria, Australia (n = 59,525) were analyzed. Time off work was defined in terms of time until first RTW, number of workdays compensated, and work disability recurrences.
Results:
The incidence of lost-time claims was 7.54 per 1000 worker-years; incidence increased with age to reach a maximum at ages 50 to 54 years. Days until first return also increased with age, as did the sum of compensated days. Recurrences were common (37%) and also increased with age.
Conclusions:
The aging workforce will lead to substantial increase in work disability. Besides general disease and injury preventative practices, policies could aim to provide tailored RTW programs for aging workers.
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