Lifespan Career Counseling
Approaches: Meeting the
Needs of an Aging
Population
Laura M. Smith, MS, CRC, CVE
Doctoral Student
Auburn University
The Aging Workforce
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IRI PSG: Contemporary issue and challenge in
the field of VR, 34th Institute, scheduled May,
2008
GAO Forum (12-5-2006): Engaging and
Retaining Older Workers
The Taskforce on the Aging of the American
Workforce (DOL, May, 2006)
Learner Objectives
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To review the unique characteristics and
concerns of the mature worker in the context
of fundamental changes in workplace and
workforce
To review lifespan career counseling
approaches that are particularly effective for
this population
To focus on relevant VR issues including
marketing and collaboration
Overview
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Current and predicted trends for older workers
Cultural and economic retirement incentives
Older workers’ unique characteristics and
concerns
Lifespan counseling approaches
Recommendations and ponderables
“What’s Your Real Age?”
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Younger mature adult 40-62
Older mature adult 62+
Real Age complicated by disease and
disability
Senescence: period of decline until death;
cells no longer reproduce; organs fail
Statistics
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Currently 35 million people 65 and older
2011 first baby boomers will turn 65
2030 nearly 20% of the population is expected
to be 65 or older
“Demographic Tsunami”
Aging boomers (1946-1964)
 Increased life expectancy/better health
 Post-boomer declining Birth Rates
In the year 2025:
 Labor force decline
 Slow economic growth
 Slow federal revenue growth (GAO Forum,
2007)
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Life Expectancy/ Population
Statistics
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2003: a 65 year old male has an average life
expectancy of 16.8 years; a 65 year old female
has an average life expectancy of 19.8 years
12.4 % of the population—1 in 8– is an older
American
2004: 18.1% of persons 65+ were minorities
Income and Poverty
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Sources of income for mature adults include
Social Security; assets; private and
government employee pensions; earnings
3.6 million elderly persons (9.8%) below the
poverty level in 2004
Poverty Guidelines $9,310 for a single
individual (Federal Register, Vol. 69, No. 30,
2004.)
2.3 million (6.7%) “near poor”
Older Worker Unemployment
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Subgroups for whom unemployment is
persistent:
Less educated
Poorer health
African American males
39% reduction in earnings in the two years
following job loss
Incentives to Retire
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Pension statutes and regulations: DB plans
Employment Income Security Act (ERISA)
Cultural expectations: Social Security NRA
and early retirement age
Mandatory retirement age (certain professions)
Phased retirement not an option
Age-Based Laws
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Age Discrimination in Employment Act
(ADEA) and amendments (EEOC)
Older Americans Act and amendments
Perceptual, Cultural, and Legal
Barriers to Work
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Age discrimination/employer perceptions
Medicare
Older worker perceptions
Caregiving
Managing chronic disease
Laws
Why Continue Working?
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Because older workers can!
Downsizing
Health coverage; ability to cover rising costs
out of pocket
Inadequate savings; income supplements
Quality of life; maintenance of current lifestyle
Intrinsic needs: social, productivity
Employment as vocation
The Value of Older Workers
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Experienced human capital/institutional
knowledge
Loyalty reflected in job tenure
Low absentee and turnover rates
Many willing to work part time or in
contingent employment
Physical Health Issues
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Age-onset disabilities include
Hypertension (51%)
Arthritis (48%)
All types of heart disease (31%)
Cancer (21%)
Diabetes (16%)
Sinusitis (14%)
Mental Health Issues
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Cognitive functioning
Depression (2-8% for older persons in
communities; 10% in primary health settings;
15% in acute or nursing home settings)
Depression as risk factor for disability
Suicide rate
Anxiety Disorders (11.4% community-residing
adults) (Swett & Bishop, 2003)
Substance Abuse Issues
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Pathways: early versus late onset
Influences: cohort effects, socioeconomic
status, frail health, discretionary income, status
as a hidden population, caregiver complicity
(Benshoff, Harrawood, & Koch, 2003)
Family, caregiver, and clinician contribution to
the abuse
Transportation Issues
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Older driver safety
Testing and drive remediation
High and low technology
Alternatives
AARP
Caregiving Issues
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Caring for aging parents
Sandwich generation (triple-decker with
grandchildren)
Caregiving costs employers $11.7 to $29
billion per year in lost productivity
(Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, 1997)
Area Agencies on Aging (AAA)
www.aoa.dhhs.gov/network.html
Best Practices in Counseling Mature
Adults
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Developmental career counseling approaches
Transferability
Health and financial literacy
Training
Career Counseling Theory
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Lifespan, life-space approach (Super)
Career Development Stages: Growth,
exploration, establishment, maintenance,
disengagement
Middle adulthood 45-65
Late adulthood over 65
Self-concept
Career Adaptability
Clarification of Vocational Identity
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Developmental, also known as thematicextrapolation method (Super)
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Client chronologies/life patterns
Practical Applications
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Anticipate and prepare for change
Process emotions associated with job loss,
unemployment, transitions
Select occupations congruent with interests
and abilities: transferability
Recycle through career stages
Participate in lifelong learning (Brewington &
Nassar-McMillan, 2000)
Transferable Skills
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Skills used in one or more jobs that may be
interchanged or substituted into another job
Taking into account residual functional
capacity (Weed and Field, 2001)
Standard vocational evaluation method/tool;
computer-based systems
Soft Skills
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Soft skills: Motivation, getting along with
coworkers, accepting supervision, getting to
work on time, attending work regularly, giving
notice of nonattendance, showing enthusiasm
for improving one’s performance, requesting
reasonable accommodations (Stensrud, 2007)
Health Literacy
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Nine of 10 adults lack skills needed to manage
health and prevent disease (U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, 2007)
Numeracy skills
Literacy skills
Health knowledge
30 million people have below basic health
literacy, describe health as poor, lack health
insurance
Financial and Benefits Issues
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Financial literacy
Retirement budgeting
Future health care costs
The Training Imperative
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The value of training for older employees
Environmental factors
Employer attitudes
Employee attitudes
Discouraging training a subtle form of
discrimination
Training Guidelines
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Pace: Give extra time to complete training
Provide relevance and hands on experience
Build on informal and formal skills
Self-directed and designed learning: software
tutorials
SeniorNet:
http://www.seniornet.org/php/default.php?Page
ID=6636
Recommendations
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Gerontology: the study of aging
Gerontology threads within VR educational
programs
Gerontology coursework/specialty
Interdisciplinary/interdepartmental
gerontology coursework
Social gerontologists
Recommendations
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Advertising/social networking
Consultation: business recruitment, selection,
training, accommodation, and promotion
processes (Stensrud, 2007)
Attention to placement risk factors
Partnerships: collaboration in service
provision: DOL Protocol
Future Trends
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Assistive technology
Home modification (“Smart Homes”) and
universal design
Telehealth
Managing chronic disease/disability
management/employee retention
Phased retirement
Ponderables
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Will VR join in a national campaign to promote older
workers?
Will VR help to change the “culture of retirement”
and national norms on “old age” and retirement?
Will VR seek to form collaborative relationships with
other agencies devoted to an aging population, and, if
so, which ones? Structure and nature of relationship?
Umbrella?
Ponderables Continued
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What unique training and incentives can VR
offer this population?
Will VR be willing and able to accommodate a
population who seeks part time, flexible
hours? Will employers?
Will VR be able to handle the transferability
needs of counselors? Would within-unit
vocational evaluators fill this need?
Questions?
References
Email: smithl3@auburn.edu
Website: www.auburn.edu/~smithl3/
Ms. Laura (“Mimi”) Smith
Department of Rehabilitation and Special Education
1228 Haley Center
Auburn University, AL 36849
(334) 844-3557