Demographics

What’s it like when you get older?

As we get older, we are all affected by the changes that are typical of ageing. These changes vary from person to person in terms of when they happen and what form they take. Often the focus is on the attributes that worsen or diminish in old age, such as poorer sight or hearing. But there are also many abilities that remain untouched by the ageing process or only develop over the course of a person’s life, such as life and work experiences or social and communication skills.

The ergonomic design of workplaces should take into consideration all generations. Our sample assembly workstation shows that there are hardly any additional design elements needed for older employees. Ergonomically well-designed workplaces mean good prevention for all age groups.

Facility resources and features

• Glasses to simulate decreased vision and eye diseases
• Listening exercises to simulate hearing loss
• ‘Touch and Feel’ boxes and bags to simulate the diminished sense of touch
• Model for simulating limited mobility
• Tests to show the skills of older people
• Sample assembly workstation

Topics covered

• The ‘Work Ability House’
• Simulation exercises for seeing, hearing and feeling
• Model of deficits and competences
• Cognitive training on the computer
• Ergonomic design of workplaces for older workers