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)
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
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
Working Memory
Verbal Abilities
Performance Skills
Processing Speed
Life SpanAge Changes in Cognition
Verbal
Working
MemoryProcessing
Comple
xAttentio
n
Verbal
AbilitiesPerformance
Skills
MemoryProcessing
Speed
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