By 2012, about 20 percent of the nation's workforce will be age 55 or older, according to the American Association for Retired People. AARP recognized St. Mary's Medical Center in Huntington, Va. as one of the top 35 employers in the nation for people ages 50 and over. 467 of the center's 2,212 employees are 50 or older, with about 30 employees aged 65 and up. Nearly half of all the employees at St. Mary's have worked there for more than ten years. Some of the efforts St. Mary's makes for its older workforce include:

100 percent payment for medical care costs

A retirement plan that is subsidized by the hospital and based on a percentage of the five highest-paid years the employee worked at St. Mary's, which allows those who need to cut back on hours as they near retirement, the relief of knowing it will not cut their benefits

Lunch and learn seminars that offer information on topics like estate planning and caring for aging parents

Free medical screenings several times a year for things like breast, skin, and prostate cancer

Employee banquets for those with ten or more years of tenure and discounted classes at the local university