Possibilities for prolonging working age. Tasks of occupational medicine

Abstract

Introduction. Europe’s ageing population has and will have significant consequences for public health and the national economy, e.g. stability of pension values, maintenance of healthcare standards, and care for people dependent on long-term care, sustainability of the social assistance system, and fight against age discrimination. The purpose of the work. Solving this problem requires a solution at national and European level. In addition to a positive family policy, another solution is to extend working life. What is the role of occupational health services in this field? Material and methods. Three basic tools that occupational medicine can use to extend working lives can be highlighted: (a) risk assessment, (b) assessment of fitness for work, (c) occupational health promotion. Results. The stereotype of ageing is outdated, an individualized risk assessment must be carried out in each case, and risks arising from work and the working environment, the basis for assessing skills in the workplace, must also be considered. Physical examinations and other additional examinations, together with the above, will ensure the qualification of a well-founded workplace aptitude test: adequate, temporarily unfit, and unfit. The third tool in the hands of occupational health professionals is occupational health promotion, which includes primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. Conclusions. Early detection, rehabilitation, and care of chronic diseases contribute to the extension of working life, in which occupational medicine has an important role and responsibility.