Individual and Occupational Determinants : Work Ability in People with Health Problems

There are individual and professional factors that have the greatest impact on the preservation of work ability for people of advanced age, and people with chronic health issues and disabilities. This text examines the demographic trends in the population and shows that proper functioning in their lives is only possible if people are provided with appropriate psychosocial and physical working conditions. This publication discusses physiological changes that occur with age and influence work performance. It presents the concept of applying the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in order to assess the work ability of people with disabilities. It shows, using examples and case studies, that practical activities aimed at appropriate working conditions for people of advanced age, and people with health issues and disabilities, will have excellent work ability.

"Demographic changes, especially those related to aging, belong to the main changes occurring in the contemporary working environment. Thus, preserving work ability in the older population as well as [populations with] health concerns are among the most important challenges of today. Accordingly, the monograph fits into the most recent issues of [this] public health area, focusing on work ability in populations at risk of social exclusion, also occupational exclusion. These are older people, persons with chronic diseases and those with different types of disabilities. 
     In my opinion, highlighting the problem of work ability in the context of aging by the authors, in such a broad understanding, is extremely valuable and useful and the presented research outcome is an authentic and very much expected contribution to the discussion on this issue. The topic has been thoroughly presented, which undoubtedly results from the interdisciplinarity of the group of authors including specialists in work physiology, physicians and physiotherapists. The monograph provides a very measurable and reliable knowledge in this field. Combining the theory with the presentation of the authors’ research outcomes is an unquestionable advantage of the monograph…".
—Jolanta Walusiak-Skorupa, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Lódz, Poland