Wouldn't usually do something like this but there is a lot of good out there. A thread of thanks to @sainsburys...
My mum has Alzheimer's. It first started to affect her in her early 50s (around 10 years ago) but it's a disease that is hard to be clinically diagnosed with whilst it's in its early stages (could be a thread in itself). She was eventually diagnosed in late 2013.
Alzheimer's, for those that aren't aware, is more than just memory loss. To name a few things it impacts: social skills, mood, increases disorientation, exaggerates emotions, can make you aggressive, increases tiredness, loss of language, inability to make decisions etc etc
When my mum first began to show signs of the disease she was working as a bookkeeper. Formerly a very organised person who was good with numbers it became obvious quite quickly she could no longer do her job effectively.
Whilst still perfectly able to contribute in a lesser skilled job, in mid-2012 she applied for and was offered a job at a Sainsbury's as part of their in-store 'picker' team, putting together people's online orders for delivery.
Medically, she was fine even if staff may have quickly realised something was up. Since being diagnosed late in 2013 Sainsbury's were made aware of every medical update and have been outstanding ever since.
For context, Sainsbury's have seen my mum deteriorate to the point that every day for the last year or so she has gone into the store confused, as if she'd never been there before. They have always stood by her, going above and beyond to make sure she's happy and feeling valued.
A few of the things Sainsbury's have done: offered regular retraining; changed her hours; had regular welfare meetings with her and my dad; ensured her colleagues were aware of her condition so they were able to help her; and even...
...created a role that didn't exist so that there was something in-store she could do despite the fact her job title has never changed from 'picker'. Most recently this has involved giving her the task of cleaning the tote boxes (something staff already did as part of their job).
To my mum, cleaning the tote boxes became the most important job in the world. If she didn't do it the store would fall apart. The sense of self-worth and pride has undeniably helped with aspects of her Alzheimer's, such as giving her something to talk about in social situations.
There have been so many times Sainsbury's could have let her go. Instead, every time my dad was called in for a meeting, fearing the worst, it was because they had noticed a decline, were concerned about her and wanted to know what more they could do to help.
In October 2017 my mum's occupational health assessment showed her Alzheimer's was now advanced, in essence, she was unemployable. Sainsbury's saw the report and we assumed it was the end of the line. It wasn't. They perservered and stuck by her once again.
Nearly 6 months later, yesterday was her last day. Even when they probably should have let her go they didn't until now. My mum was emotional but relieved. Senior management have acted with compassion and handled everything with class and dignity.
This thread doesn't really do @sainsburys justice but I wanted to publicly thank them on behalf of my family. They have been a fabulous employer but more than that, on a human level, the people working at the Kenton store have shown sensitivity, kindness and care. Thank you.
Early-onset Alzheimer's isn't common, is hard to get diagnosed and requires a lot of patience and understanding. You can donate to Alzheimer's Research UK (@ARUKnews) here: alzheimersresearchuk.org/support-us/don…
