- Conference
- 2017 National Women's Conference
- Date
- 12 October 2016
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes that, according to the Alzheimer’s Society, women are disproportionately affected by dementia:
• Over 500,000 people with dementia – 61% – are women
• Women in their 60s are almost twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease over the rest of their lives as they are to develop breast cancer
• Dementia is the leading cause of death for women in the UK, accounting for 12% of women’s deaths in 2013
• Between 60 and 70% of all unpaid dementia carers are women, and women are more than twice as likely to provide intensive, 24-hour care than men
• Female carers report feeling less supported than their male counterparts
Further, as the state pension age has increased and women are being required to work longer, the impact on them – both as sufferers and as carers – is likely to increase.
For those with early onset dementia – more than 40,000 people aged under 65 in the UK – the situation is particularly complex, particularly as many of them will wish to continue to work after diagnosis. For the women acting as carers, the difficulties in combining their work and care responsibilities will be immense. Under half of carers report that their employers offer any support with their caring responsibilities, whilst 1 in 5 carers leave work or opt to work part time in order to cope.
Whilst the Equality Act (2010) requires employers to avoid discrimination and make reasonable adjustments to ensure people with dementia are not disadvantaged in the workplace, there is little guidance for branches on how best to support our members, both those with the diagnosis and those caring for partners or family members with dementia.
Conference welcomes the UNISON backed Dementia Awareness training which is now available, but believes more must be done to support our members.
Conference therefore calls upon the national women’s committee to:
1) Work with appropriate departments, including the Health and Safety Unit, Bargaining Support and Learning and Organising Services (LAOS) to issue guidance to branches on supporting members with a diagnosis of dementia and those caring for sufferers;
2) Work with Alzheimer’s Society in campaigning for an improved workplace and societal response to those suffering with dementia, and their carers, including the need for better long term planning for an ageing society which acknowledges that women can expect to live, on average, for 5 years more than men;
3) Continue to campaign and lobby the government for improved caring leave, flexible working rights and “adjustment leave” – a period of leave to allow time to resolve problems caused by a life changing event or illness for an individual or their dependants.
4) Easier access to welfare and benefits, particularly for women whose lifetime earnings and pensions will be lower than men’s, due to the persistent gender pay gap.