Adjusting for the Cognitive

Effects of Normal Aging in the

Work Place Work Place

Janet Leathem & Bridget Burmester

Demographics

• Population of older individuals (60+) rose from 205

million in 1950 to 606 million in 2000 (UN, 2002).

Projected to reach the 2 billion mark by 2050.

DemographicsWHO Trends in Global Ageing

19%

23%

25%26%

20%

25%

30%

Percent of Population

Aged 65 & Over:

History and UN Projection

8% 9%10%

12%13%

14%16%

4% 4% 4% 4% 4% 5%6%

8%

10%

13%

15%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

1950 1970 1990 2010 2030 2050

Developed World Developing WorldSource: UN (2005)

Demographics

Population % over 65 years

DemographicsLife expectancy

Living arrangements of the elderly

Percentage of Single member Households of all households with at least one

person aged 65 or more by World Bank category

30

35

40

45

50

Percent

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

GR

C

ES

P

ITA

AU

S

GB

R

FR

A

DE

U

NLD

SW

E

ZA

F

MY

S

TU

R

MU

S

ME

X

ES

T

RU

S

MA

R

LK

A

CH

N

BR

A

BIH

GE

O

UK

R

IND

PA

K

BG

D

ET

H

GH

A

KE

N

TC

D

High Upper-Middle Lower-Middle Low

World Bank category

Demographics: Workforce

Demographics: Workforce

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Meet Sally

Life SpanAge Changes in Cognition

• Verbal Abilities

– rise gradually, peak at 50 & small declines after 55

Life SpanAge Changes in Cognition

• Verbal Abilities

– rise gradually, peak at 50 & small declines after 55

• Performance Abilities

– slow decline mid 30’s, > after 50-60– slow decline mid 30’s, > after 50-60

• Working Memory

– slow decline after 45, visual > verbal

• Processing Speed

– decline begins at 20, accelerating after 35

Life SpanAge Changes in Cognition

• Verbal Abilities

– rise gradually, peak at 50 & small declines after 55

• Performance Abilities

– slow decline mid 30’s, > after 50-60– slow decline mid 30’s, > after 50-60

• Working Memory & Complex Attention

– slow decline after 45

• Processing Speed

– decline begins at 20, accelerating after 35

Life SpanAge Changes in Cognition

• Processing Speed

– decline begins at 20, accelerating after 35

Life SpanAge Changes in Cognition

Processing Speed

Working Memory

Verbal Abilities

Performance Skills

Processing Speed

Life SpanAge Changes in Cognition

Verbal Verbal

Abilities

Life SpanAge Changes in Cognition

Verbal Verbal

AbilitiesPerformance

Skills

Life SpanAge Changes in Cognition

Verbal

Working

MemoryVerbal

AbilitiesPerformance

Skills

Memory

Life SpanAge Changes in Cognition

Verbal

Working

MemoryProcessing

Comple

xAttentio

n

Verbal

AbilitiesPerformance

Skills

MemoryProcessing

Speed

Life SpanAge Changes in Cognition

• Processing Speed

– decline begins at 20, accelerating after 35

Study Aims

• Comparison between self report and

questionnaire endorsement of EMC’s

• Nature and levels of distress associated with

self report of EMC’sself report of EMC’s

Burmester, B., Leathem, J & Merrick, P. (in press) Assessing subjective memory

complaints: A comparison of spontaneous reports and structured questionnaire methods.

International Psychogeriatrics.

The Memory Survey

What people forget

• Whether or not they’ve done something

• Where they’ve put things

• What they were doing

• Telephone numbers & facts• Telephone numbers & facts

• What they’ve been told, seen or read

• How to do/operate things

• Not recognising people

Bottom Line

• Feedback• Acceptance & Awareness

– Attend– Allow time– Allow time– Organise, plan & simplify to assist learning– Compensate– Don’t stress

• Stay active mentally and physically• Eat well

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Meet Sally