The contributions to society that older adults make as volunteers must be investigated as should the role of volunteerism in enhancing the quality of life for the older adult. The interaction of work roles and family roles shift with age in ways that we do not yet understand. People's work lives and family lives are not independent. Indeed, considerable energy is expended in trying to find balance between the two. Despite the universality of the search for balance, we know very little about how older workers achieve it, whether the balance of energy expended between work and home shifts with age, and how this relates to productivity and job satisfaction.
Older workers are reliable.
We know that older workers are among the most reliable of workers and that they report higher job satisfaction than younger adults, although the relationship of this to family roles is unknown. We also know that older workers are frequently placed in the position of caring for a very aged family member at home. It is firmly established that some aspects of dependent care are extremely stressful, and that workers' productivity levels suffer as a result. Properly designed intervention programs and examination of role obligations can serve to lower stress, but more attention needs to be paid to such programs with respect to older workers. The impact of family changes and responsibilities on the older worker need investigation.