How to navigate Alzheimer's in the workplace
It's time to start thinking about how early-onset Alzheimer's disease affects your employees. While it's the fifth leading cause of death in adults older than 65, the degenerative brain disease also impacts about 200,000 people age 64 and younger, and that trend is on the rise.
According to The Lancet, the global prevalence of dementia in individuals under age 70 increased by 122 percent from 1990 to 2021, making dementia in younger people a rapidly growing health concern.
Dementia greatly reduces the quality of life for anyone diagnosed with it. Early onset Alzheimer’s is especially cruel — with an average survival rate of just 8.7 years post-diagnosis, according to a 2025 study from the National Library of Medicine.
Officially diagnosing Alzheimer’s can be tricky, as the process of the disease can begin in the brain without showing obvious symptoms for at least a decade. Not to mention, disease progression is irreversible once it starts. With individuals as young as 30 showing symptoms and estimated total health care costs expected to reach $1 trillion by 2050, it’s a quickly becoming a significant area of concern.
With Alzheimer’s diagnoses showing no signs of slowing down, bringing awareness to Alzheimer’s disease in the workplace is crucial — as is providing support to your employees.
Know the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia
It’s important to understand the difference between an employee who has Alzheimer’s, compared to one who might suffer from dementia.
- Alzheimer’s disease: A degenerative brain disease that progressively destroys memory and cognitive skills. As the disease advances, symptoms become more severe and cause disorientation, confusion and behavior changes, rendering those living with the disease unable to independently care for themselves.
- Dementia: A condition caused by damage to brain cells that results in cognitive decline outside of normal aging, affecting the ability to communicate, think, behave and feel. Although Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia, Alzheimer’s is a disease and dementia is not.
How you can help if an employee shows signs of Alzheimer’s
Your workplace can play a huge role in supporting your employees when they need it most. By offering various accommodations or resources to employees dealing with Alzheimer’s disease, you can help ease struggles or burdens that may arise.
1.
Provide support when they need it most.
Make your workplace as comfortable and supportive as possible for employees to express their needs, concerns or frustrations. An environment of open communication can help ensure employees' individual experiences are understood and appropriately supported.
2.
Keep the workplace clutter-free.
According to a study from Yale University, visual clutter disrupts how information is processed in the brain, explaining why simplified environments can help people with cognitive impairment.
3.
Evaluate employee working hours.
Between varying appointments, treatments and the emotional trauma an Alzheimer’s diagnosis may bring, it’s important to know your employees may have to step away from the office. Having an up-front conversation with an employee about appropriate or flexible hours can help them feel supported and more engaged when in the office.
4.
Consider all-employee training.
Provide information and training to employees about how to talk, support and help a fellow colleague dealing with Alzheimer’s in the workplace. You can provide education about the varying symptoms, how to act in sensitive situations and accommodations they can easily make to support a coworker.
If you’re looking for ideas on how to better accommodate employees with Alzheimer’s in the workplace, review this accommodation and compliance training guide from the Job Accommodation Network.
5.
Promote BeWell 24/7® Nurse Support
Available to Wellmark® Blue Cross® and Blue Shield® members, BeWell 24/7 can help your employees find a doctor, coordinate appointments, get treatment advice, seek a second opinion and manage complex care — all at no cost to them.
Share the benefits of BeWell 24/7 with your employees.
The Wellmark Marketing Toolkit has quick, ready-to-share flyers and information about BeWell 24/7 for you to share within your workplace.
At the end of the day, your employees are your company's most valuable investments. Their happiness, engagement, work-life balance and health are all critical to how your business moves forward. With any disease or illness, the most important part is offering support and resources when necessary.
Healthy business, healthy employees
Want to offer your employees a central resource for all their health care needs? Companies that offer Wellmark coverage have access to myWellmark®. myWellmark allows your employees to manage their conditions, track claims and costs, compare quality and find top centers for specialty care.
With myWellmark, you can be confident in your employees’ knowledge of their health insurance coverage, leaving you to answer fewer questions, calls and emails about health insurance information.
If they haven’t done so already, encourage your employees to register for myWellmark. Questions? Contact your authorized Wellmark account representative or email us at blueatwork@Wellmark.com.