The Management of Dementia in the Workplace in the Public Sector in Scotland

The Scottish population is ageing. This will have a significant impact on the labour market, in particular on the greater need for employers to employ relatively more older workers (those aged 50 plus) and extend people's working lives – especially since the abolishment of the default retirement age in 2011 and the rising State Pension Age.

As working lives extend, the potential impact of dementia on the workplace could be substantial. ‘Dementia’ describes a wide range of conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. Symptoms include memory loss, difficulties with planning, problem-solving or language and sometimes changes in mood or behaviour. Symptoms gradually get worse over time. While dementia is most common in older people (although it is not a natural part of ageing), figures from Alzheimer’s Scotland show that of the 90,000 individuals currently affected in Scotland around 3,200 are aged under 65 years. Therefore, employers need to be prepared to support any of their employees who have or develop dementia.

The aim of this research was to provide an understanding of whether public sector employers in Scotland have policies and strategies in place to manage employees with dementia in the workplace.