Help please

[Reds]

My husband has Alzheimer's and still works. There was a health and safety meeting today.

I am very worried as my husband was given a letter. The company want to access medical records which is fine but they want him to see a company doctor. I am concerned that the company doctor isn't specialised in Alzheimer's. I am worried they will use any little detail to get rid of him.

Should we sign the consent for them to do the above? They have said its to review, support and adjust if necessary his current job description and at the bottom of the letter they have put they support his condition. The company did a few years ago try to get rid of him.

They have for sometime now given him jobs that he is ok doing anyway and the job description isn't followed.

Thanks Reds

 

[jenniferpa]

I do think you would be well advised to call the help line: they may be able to give you some pointers. http://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/faq.php?faq=resources#faq_resources_helpline

I'd feel uncomfortable about signing such a consent form: I mean you want any help they may be able to give you but this seems a bit open-ended.

 

[Dan57]

I have early onset AZ and I still work. A good person in the human resources department advised me to tell no one in the company about my diagnosis for the same reasons. I hope things work out well for him.

 

[RobinH]

Get Advice

Hi Reds

It does sound like they are manoeuvring to get rid of him. The company doctor isn't there to help your husband, but to look after the company's interests. If your husband is in a Trade Union or similar, I would get them involved. If not, perhaps get some legal advice from a specialist in employment law. This could have big financial implications for you both.

Robin

 

[Jessbow]

Can he still do his job?

Maybe there is a health and safety issue that needs addressing given his condition.
If you don't give permission You might find him outted anyway.

He might be fine at work, but it might now be impacting on others, which they have to address

What job does he do?

 

[Izzy]

I agree that he should, if possible, have a trade union rep to advise and support him. Also the Alzheimer's helpline is a good idea.

 

[Brannybob]

Hi Reds
I don't know if this will help but my husband has the same problem only he see's the company's occupational health nurse. On a positive note they requested to see his medical records but have used these to support him at work and we have regular meetings with Management so they can assess my husbands needs. I know he has good and bad days at work, every company is different but this was just to give you hope that sometimes some thing positive can happen.

 

[Noorza]

I'd also call ACAS for advise before signing anything.


http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1461

 

[Reds]

Just want to say thank you for all the messages. I rang my husband's boss today (very courageous of me) and he agree that an update from my husband's Alzheimer's specialist will be ok rather than him seeing their company doctor so feel more comfortable about this.

Thanks again and fingers crossed things will be ok for my husband. I also looked at the factsheet for employment on the Alzheimer's Society website which was helpful. My husband does work for an engineering company so do understand they need to be careful but just want things done as well as possible for my husband and fairly. What will be, will be but my husband does need to be motivated. Also to be honest I am scared about how we will manage in the future if we don't try and work for as long as possible.

Reds

 

[Brannybob]

Hi Reds

Hope things are OK for you, we have our meeting today, I just worry about keeping hubby motivated and how we would manage in the future too. Every week is a bonus, little problems arise but up to now have managed to sort them. Just reassuring to have support from other people.

 

[Reds]

Thanks Brannybob

Hope you ok too. The hospital have updated my husband's employers about his health condition and I am hoping that will be the end of it for awhile. Just hoping my husband can keep working as long as possible as good to keep him motivated and independent plus of course for financial reasons but it really is a worry now that he has Alzheimer's. 61 is not an easy age either but I know there are worse situations.

Reds

 

[TaraT]

Hi Reds,

I hope your husband keeps on working for as long as possible. I work in HR and feel that it is important to be open and honest, particulary if he could potentially put his own and others health and safety at risk. Like your husbands employer I would request a medical report so that we could work with him to keep him safe and mke sure he had all the support he would require. Try not to worry too much about this.

If something untoward happens and his employer hasn't been pro-active, then the employer could come under scrutiny.

I think it's great that you have contacted the Company yourself and I hope that you can all work together to keep your husband in employment for as long as possible.

TaraT

 

[TaraT]

Hi Reds,

Apologies, what I also meant to say was that I agree with everyone else that it's good to get advice before you sign anything. However, also it's good to remember that your husbands Company are trying to get all the advice that they can before they make any employment decision and in such circumstances, if they are not given permission to access your husbands Doctor for further information, they can only make employment decisions based on the information that they have.

Therefore if you refuse information, it may actually be more detrimental as they have limited information, than if they get the full picture and work place adjustment advice from a Doctor. I hope that made some form of sense.

Thanks

TaraT

 

[2jays]

[cut]

Also to be honest I am scared about how we will manage in the future if we don't try and work for as long as possible.

Reds

Thinking financial here..... If, unfortunately, your OH is asked to leave the company, he may be able to "go" under ill health retirement, so his pension could be better than if he was just made redundant.

Worth checking with the pensions department if it gets to that stage