When managers at Bon Secours Virginia Health System started analyzing workers’ compensation cases, they noticed a bad combination: Older nurses were having problems from lifting heavy and sicker patients.
The company put into place a new protocol for moving patients. Nurses can now call in a “patient mobility team” to help.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health said there are a variety of accommodations that employers can make to create a safer and more conducive work environment for older employees. Among its recommendations:
Providing flexibility on the job. NIOSH says this includes schedules, location and tasks, among other things.
Creating a work environment that lets people move rather than stay sedentary all day. That can include providing sit/stand work stations or onsite physical activity.
Managing noise and other physical hazards, such as causes of slipping and tripping.
Ensuring that the work environment is ergonomically friendly. That could include workstations, seating, flooring and lighting.
Using teams and promoting teamwork to solve problems.
Promoting healthy lifestyles and striving to “accommodate medical self-care in the workplace and time away for health visits.”
“Our emphasis is productive aging,” said James Grosch, co-director of NIOSH’s National Center for Productive Aging and Work.