DementiaRoadmap
Helping primary care to support people with dementia
Employment
Many people diagnosed with dementia under the age of 65 continue to work after a diagnosis of the disorder. Carers of people with dementia also continue to work. As numbers of people with dementia rise, this will mean that there are likely to be increasing number of carers and people with dementia in the workforce.
Both people with dementia and carers can face challenges in continuing to work after a diagnosis of dementia. Employers must be prepared to support employees who are diagnosed with dementia or who are carers for someone with dementia. This includes being aware of the legal protection that protects people affected by dementia from discrimination and the need to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that they are not disadvantaged in their workplace.
Dementia is a progressive condition and over time it will increasingly impair a person’s ability to work. As this happens, individuals will need support and information from their employers about finishing work, including discussion of retirement options and access to financial advice.
Resources
- On the journey to becoming a dementia friendly organisationThis paper shares the lessons that have been learned through the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s Dementia without Walls programme which started in June 2012 with a vision of making the UK a better place for people with dementia.
- Dementia DiariesDementia Diaries is a national project that brings together people’s diverse experiences of living with dementia as a series of audio diaries.
- Creating a dementia friendly workplace: A practical guide for employersThis guide published by the Alzheimer's Society is designed to help employers provide support for staff members with dementia. It may also be a useful resource for people living with, or affested by, dementia in the workplace.
- QS30: Supporting people to live well with dementiaThis quality standard, published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), covers the care and support of people with dementia.
Groups
- Employers for CarersEmployers for Carers provides practical, ‘hands-on’, help to employers to support carers in their workforce.20 Great Dover Street, London, SE1 4LX020 7378 4956employers@carersuk.orghttp://www.employersforcarers.org/