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September 9, 2024 · 8:00 am

Policies needed to address cognitive decline in the workplace

The Alzheimer’s Association had an interesting blog post recently about the issue of cognitive impairment in the workplace. As the U.S. population ages and older people by financial necessity or personal choice are staying in the workforce longer, we need policies to address this sensitive issue.

While modern workplaces, to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. have evolved over time to better accommodate workers with a variety of physical disabilities and conditions like autism and dyslexia, it seems like similar considerations for those with dementia are a work in progress.

Because dementia is an umbrella term that includes a variety of diseases from Alzheimer’s to frontotemporal dementia (FTD) each with their own unique set of symptoms and behaviors, creating a comprehensive policy will be difficult. The Alzheimer’s Association includes recommendations in their blog post:

Training: Human resources need to be educated on signs of dementia, which can present symptoms that may be mistaken for conditions like substance abuse or depression.
Accommodating: From flexible schedules to technology enhancements, employers should consider how to assist workers with dementia so they can remain productive and engaged.
Support: There will come a time when a person with cognitive decline will progress to the point where they need to retire. Companies should do their best to allow for a dignified exit that leaves the worker feeling some agency in the decision and provide the worker’s family with options for support, such as disability and retirement benefits.

Hopefully with greater awareness, employers in conjunction with medical experts and dementia awareness advocates will create sensible and sensitive policies to address this important issue.

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Filed under Awareness & Activism

Tagged as Alzheimer's, dementia, disability, employee, employer, HR, human resources, job, workplace

May 15, 2014 · 9:32 am

What about dementia in the workplace?

This week, there has been much talk about the Donald Sterling interview on CNN. The Clippers owner continues to make outrageous statements and accusations. It is easy to dismiss him as a crazy, racist old man who has not embraced modern civilization.

But then his wife, in another interview, stated that she thinks Sterling has dementia. Now, the wife is desperately trying to retain her stake in the team, so she may just be doing damage control and trying to drum up sympathy. Still, it raised an interesting question for me.

What do we do about dementia in the workplace?

I wrote an article asking the same question on LinkedIn. I am curious to know what laws or regulations exist in the area you live in, or if the company you work for addresses the topic of dementia in any way. Dementia isn’t a new disease, obviously, but my guess is that in past generations, older people who started having difficulties on the job were just encouraged to retire sooner. Most probably did. But in today’s economy, retirement isn’t an option for many older people, or at best, they delay their retirement by several years. There is also the growing number of early-onset Alzheimer’s cases to contend with, so those in their career prime, in their late 30’s and 40s, could also have to tackle this issue.

I’d also like to know what policies you think should be put in place to deal with this sensitive issue. I’m trying to gather perspective from both sides, from the more business-focused people on LinkedIn, to the dementia awareness advocates that I follow here on WordPress.