We’re backing Alzheimer’s Society’s dementia-friendly finance guide

We are supporting the Alzheimer’s Society’s new dementia-friendly finance guide for businesses and applauded the organisation for its forward-thinking.

The Alzheimer’s Society, with MoneySavingExpert.com founder, Martin Lewis, has launched a dementia-friendly finance and insurance guide to help businesses support people with dementia to manage their finances.

We believe it is incredibly important that businesses educate themselves on how they can support people with dementia when they are using their services, so we whole heartedly support the Alzheimer’s Society’s new dementia-friendly finance guide and we’re urging all businesses out there to give it a read and work to incorporate it into their everyday running.

The guide identifies three main areas where organisations could work to improve their support of people with dementia, this includes improving dementia awareness and training in staff and also supporting any staff with the condition, improving processes to support customers and provide them with better info and sign posting and making the physical environment accessible to people with dementia. This could include making sure there are clear signs to exits, service points and toilets, as well as consistent lighting and seating areas.

Alzheimer’s Society Chief Executive, Jeremy Hughes, has said on the charity’s website: “Dementia can devastate lives and it is vital that people with dementia are enabled and empowered to live the life they want in their community. Interacting with their bank, financial service provider or insurer can be a challenging process for people living with dementia, their families and carers.

“Not only is it important that they are properly supported, it also makes good business sense to be dementia-friendly.With support and adjustments from financial service providers, people affected can continue to independently manage their finances and access insurance that meets their needs.

“We need the whole sector to unite against dementia by committing to the actions outlined in Alzheimer’s Society’s dementia-friendly financial services guide and make their employees Dementia Friends, so no one has to face dementia alone.”

It’s so incredibly important that people with dementia can use the same shops and services as anyone else in their community, especially if they are doing so on their own. It’s all about them being as independent as possible and we believe the new guide is a great step in the right direction. We’re confident about a future full of dementia-friendly services and a greater awareness of the condition.