Diability and unemployment Flashcards
How will demographic changes affect work and health
Ageing population
As people live longer more will live/work with chronic or progressive disease
Each working person will support more pensioners
There is an expectation of availability and level of health and social care on retirement. Supporting people for a longer period, increases health and social care costs
Factors which influence the demographics of worksforce
Reduced birth rate Later entry into the workforce (increase in student education) Immigration Early retirement due to ill health Financial commitments
How do people become unemployed?
Voluntary exit
Redundancy
Poor attendance
Never worked (due to childhood illness, poor education, no skills)
Commonest causes of time off work
Minor illness
Stress
Mental health problems
Back pain and other MSK disorders
What are the health effects of unemployment?
Causes social and health inequalities:
Increased consumption of tobacco and alcohol, sexual risk taking, use of medication.
Increased rate of depression and anxiety. Loss of self-esteem influences chance of re-employment.
Increased risk of poor mental and physical health
Health benefits of work
Can reverse the adverse health effects of unemployment.
Reduces psychological distress Financial Social Enhanced socio-economic status Discipline and routine
5 main issues a doctor should consider when advising a patient about fitness to work?
Nature of the condition and how long it is expected to last
Functional limitations which result from the condition and may affect work.
Reasonable adjustments that may enable to patient to continue working
Clinical guidelines on management of condition
Clinical management of specific patient
Recommendations that can be made by a GP about returning to work
Phased return
Altered hours
Amended duties
Workplace adaptations
Diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder
Detachment (emotional numbness)
Re-experiencing the event (e.g. nightmares, flashbacks)
Event had emotional effects (e.g. helplessness, disabling fear)
Avoidance (of places, activities or people that remind the patient of the event);
Months (symptoms present >1m)
Sympathetic hyper vigilance (may include insomnia, irritability and difficulty concentrating.
Four main types of occupational hazard
Harm from:
Physical demands
Exposures
Situation
Infections
Define impaiment
Loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological or anatomical structure/function.
Define handicap
Impairment or disability that limits a person from fulfilling a role that would otherwise be normal for that individual.
