When Denise Wilton found out her dad was suffering from dementia, her life had already changed dramatically.

Things had been going so well in her job as managing director of waste and recycling firm Compact & Bale in Hadlow.

She had been there nine years and grown annual revenues from £500,000 to £3.6 million, employing 14 people.

Then, in 2014, her mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. It was shortly after she died that Denise’s father was diagnosed with dementia. Already grieving for her mother, she was forced to change her life.

“I had to make a decision about whether I could still manage people at work while I cared for my dad,” said Denise, who has since become a dementia champion in Kent.

“You have to be available to care for their needs. I needed flexibility, but as the managing director of a company I had staff that relied on me. It made sense for someone else to step into the role.”

Since leaving her job, her life has changed completely – but for the better. She is owner of Mylan Focus, a Strood-based marketing and business development consultancy, and is pursuing a long-held career ambition to be a professional actor.

She has also begun contributing to awareness sessions being conducted across Kent, the latest of which was run by Medway Dementia Action Alliance at Chatham Historic Dockyard last month.

“Many are capable of continuing to work. Being diagnosed doesn’t mean your life stops overnight..." - Denise Wilton, dementia champion

The workshop, attended by 70 people, aimed to show how businesses can support people affected by dementia, either living with the condition or caring for someone with it.

Denise said: “Dementia gets very little attention in the workplace, but it is something which affects business.

“If someone is diagnosed early they could live for eight to 10 years. People are diagnosed early more and more and that has a big impact on business.

“Many are capable of continuing to work. Being diagnosed doesn’t mean your life stops overnight. It can be a gradual process.

“They may not be able to continue in their current role, but employers should support them.

“They have got to take time to be sympathetic and learn what dementia is and how it affects people.

“Most people think it is an old person’s disease where they forget things, but there is a huge amount more to it.”

“I was in denial for a long time, which I think was one of the reasons it took so long to diagnose..." - Lorraine Brown, Alzheimer’s Society ambassador and dementia sufferer

Across the UK, there are 42,325 people below the age of 65 with dementia, many of whom continue to work after diagnosis. About 27% of carers continue to work after a diagnosis.

Lorraine Brown is an ambassador for Alzheimer’s Society and chairman of Medway Dementia Action Alliance. A former nurse, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in August 2014 at the age of 61 after colleagues noticed she was not performing to her usual standard at work.

Today she campaigns for people with dementia to be given greater support so they can stay at work for as long as possible.

She said: “I’d worked at the hospital for 24 years and as soon as I got my diagnosis it was almost like they didn’t have time for me.

“It was a strange situation because I felt that I was the last to know I had dementia.

“I was in denial for a long time, which I think was one of the reasons it took so long to diagnose.

“I’m on a mission to improve the lives of people affected by dementia, and the work environment is a good place to start. I feel passionately that people should still have the same respect, even if you do have dementia.”

For Denise, who lives in Rainham, the message is simple.

She said: “We are not saying employ someone if they can’t do the job, but perhaps companies should think about how they can use a dementia sufferer’s skills and knowledge in the best way possible.

“If someone is forgetful, give them a checklist to work through. There are lots of coping mechanisms for people with dementia.”

For details of future Dementia Action Alliance events in the county, visit www.dementiaaction.org.uk