What to do employment wise after Osteoarthritis diagnosis?

micks

After nearly 50 years in construction I have been diagnosed with Osteoarthritis.  For the past 30 years I have been a building manager, site manager and a project manager.  All active roles and ones that I can no longer do.  Hopefully, I can get some support from this group as to what to do next, before I lose everything I have worked for. 

janer1967

Hi @micks

Sorry yo hear of your situation 

When you say what to do next what are you referring to eg leaving work   or finding alternative work,  claiming benefits 

If you give more info we may be able to help 

Tori_Scope

Hello and welcome to the community @micks  

As Janer1967 has said, it'd be good if you could provide some more information about the kinds of things you're wanting to look into. 

You can use a benefits calculator to see what benefits you might be entitled to. Are you currently claiming any benefits, such as PIP?

If you're looking to seek alternative employment, you might find one of Scope's employment services helpful. For example, our Support to Work service:

Support to Work is open to disabled people who:

• are 16 years or over

• are looking for a paid job

• have internet, email and telephone or Skype access

• live in England or Wales

You will get help from one of our specialist employment advisers online and over the phone.

Our friendly advisers will listen to your challenges and give specific advice for your situation. With in-depth knowledge and experience they can support you with many aspects of looking for paid work, including:

• identifying your strengths and transferable skills

• developing confidence and job skills like time management

• reviewing your CV to meet your employment goals

• how and where to look for jobs

• mock interviews

• how to talk to your employer about your impairment and reasonable adjustments

Your employment adviser will work with you to create a personal and flexible 12-week programme. They will set you tasks to complete such as:

• reading work and careers advice

• writing a CV or cover letter from a template

• preparing for interviews

Your adviser will be on hand to help you throughout the 12 weeks. At the end of the 12 weeks your time with the adviser will end, but you'll still have access to all resources in your personal online portal.

Once you start on the service. You will have access to vacancies through our online job board from partner organisations, recruiters, and employers who are committed to employing more disabled people.

Once you find work our support does not end. Our specialist in work support adviser will work with you for up to 26 weeks. They will support you with any issues that may arise in work, including:

• support with asking for reasonable adjustments

• Access to Work applications

Have you thought about what kind of job you might like to go into next?

micks

Thank you for your replies. 

I wanted some information on how I can get back to work, taking into consideration that my mobility is not what is was and not what it should be for a Site Manager.  

I'm not looking at benefits (at the moment) and but will be looking at the links, especially the employment services and the Support to Work.

The biggest problem that I am having is motivation and not knowing what to do next.  I do have  a germ of an idea that, if it can be realised, will give me more to look forward to. 

I will be coming back to you very soon.
Thank you 

Tori_Scope

I'd definitely encourage you to get in touch with the Support to Work team @micks They're all lovely, and I've heard great things about the support they've provided people with. 

Lack of motivation can definitely be a big barrier, especially if you're feeling a bit down. Is your osteoarthritis being well managed?

We look forward to hearing from you Respond whenever you're ready.