Dementia-friendly utilities

Dementia-friendly utility guide: A practical guide to supporting your customers and employees affected by dementia is essential reading for all those within the sector. The guide has information on: 

• How dementia may affect people’s use of utilities.
• How you can make simple changes in your policies to support people with dementia.
• How you can enable your staff to feel confident in supporting people with dementia.

The guide is for anyone currently working in the utility sector.

• Download South Gloucestershire Talking to people with dementia a telephone guide

• Download Direct Marketing Association Guidelines for call centres dealing with vulnerable customers 

We need utilities to take action and support people affected by dementia at this difficult time to ensure they continue to have access to essential utilities in their home, and are able to live in a warm safe environment. Here are some of the actions you can encourage your organisation, utility stakeholders or employees to do today, to make a difference to people’s lives:

• Do not disconnect or suspend any phone, TV, electricity, gas accounts belonging to vulnerable customers.
• Provide longer emergency amounts on the meters of vulnerable customers or provide remote or phone top up services.
• Provide emergency grants to vulnerable customers with increased spending due to lock down.
• Send out letters to all customers over 70 signposting to priority registration service and providing detail support measures.
• Make courtesy calls to most vulnerable to explain they are safe and signpost to our Dementia Connect support line 0333 150 3456  for advice and support.