Employers urged to empathize with employees with dementia

London, February 6 : In an attempt to educate people against dementia the British government is urging managers and employers to watch out for the early signs of dementia among their coworkers.

The new Dementia Strategy for England, which sets out a range of proposals on how to educate people about degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, was published by the government on Feb. 3. The report also claims that dementia which affects some 700,000 people in the United Kingdom is set to double to 1.4 million over the next thirty years.

The report also said that by the next generation the condition could cost the economy £50 billion per year.

It further states, “Such a campaign could also target the personnel/human resources and occupational health departments of employers so that they are aware of the early signs of dementia."

The report advised that employers should be made aware that those workers, who are caring for dementia sufferers are quite likely to be overstressed.

The Chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society, Neil Hunt, welcomed the plan of opening memory clinics in every town, which may cost around £150 million.

He said that the strategy will "transform the lives of people living with dementia."

Dementia occurs when nerve cells in the brain are not working properly, meaning it is unable to process signals. The symptoms of dementia includes include loss of memory, confusion and problems with speech and understanding.

More than 24 million people globally suffers from loss of memory, problems with orientation, impaired thinking and other symptoms that point out towards Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. Till now, there is no cure for the condition, however early intervention can help people live independently for longer.