How businesses being dementia aware and ‘friendly’ can help people and pound

Keeping people with dementia in work to improve their health – and making the world a better place to do business – will be explored at a key wellbeing conference next week.

The Dementia in the Workplace Conference will be on Thursday 25 September (10am-3:30pm) at Magna Park in Leicestershire and will highlight the issues at play for businesses and people and help shape future research and policy.

Teams from University of Northampton, the Academy of Dementia Education Research, the Young Dementia Network, Dementia Experts for Involvement Networks (DEfIN-YD) and Magna Park Estate will be joined by business leaders and research experts.

Claire Davies, a UON PhD student, will speak about her work-related research, people with dementia and carers will share their experiences, and the keynote speaker will be Professor Louise Ritchie, the Lead for the national Working with Dementia Network +.

Tickets are free, and the event is open to academics, businesses, students in related disciplines, and members of the public interested in dementia innovation and research.

The University has been instrumental in developing DEfIN-YD, helping create a collaborative cross-university, interdisciplinary project.

Professor in Applied Mental Health at University of Northampton, Jacqueline Parkes, has co-organised the conference, which she will open and close. She says: “The theme of ‘dementia and work’ has consistently been discussed as very significant for people of working age who are diagnosed with dementia. It can affect their family and financial stability.

“Our ‘Dementia in the workplace Conference’ will highlight the strategies that employers can develop to support both people with early-stage dementia and carers impacted by dementia. The teams and I look forward to seeing guests next Thursday.”

Reserve your place at the conference here; for any enquiries, please email defin@academyfordementia.org

Find out more about the University’s Northampton Dementia Research and Innovation Research Centre.