Nearly one in 10 (8%) UK businesses have already encountered employees with dementia, according to a study by health insurer PMI Health Group.
The research revealed that the majority of HR professionals believe dementia is a concern for UK business (90%) and that every company should have a dementia policy (74%), as recently called for by the Alzheimer’s Society.
Mike Blake, director at PMI Health Group, said:
“The number of people with dementia is expected to increase to one million by 2021 and an ageing workforce means employees may be affected as both sufferers and carers.”
“It is heartening to see from our survey that employers are now considering the need to provide education on the condition and to support staff who are either suffering from the condition or caring for someone with the condition.”
The research also showed that HR professionals are being increasingly affected by the issue. 29 percent have had to give staff time off to look after relatives with dementia and 69 percent now offer flexible working to staff who are caring for elderly relatives.
Eldercare is becoming more of a priority for HR departments and 69 percent of HR professionals think employers have a responsibility to offer eldercare benefits to staff. These include access to helplines and specialists who can advise on, and manage, the needs of elderly relatives.
Steff joined the HRreview editorial team in November 2014. A former event coordinator and manager, Steff has spent several years working in online journalism. She is a graduate of Middlessex University with a BA in Television Production and will complete a Master's degree in Journalism from the University of Westminster in the summer of 2015.