Alzheimer’s Disease and Health Insurance

What is Alzheimer’s Disease?

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive disorder in which the brain cells slowly degenerate and die. Alzheimer's disease affects an individual’s ability to behave and interact socially. It is the most common cause of dementia that results in a decline in thinking, and a person's ability to perform tasks independently.

One of the alarming and early signs is forgetting a recent event or conversation. Alzheimer's patients tend to forget recent events and things. They may ask the same thing from you every time. If you are looking after a family member who is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, you need to ensure that their medical condition improves with time.

Alzheimer’s Disease Symptoms

The signs and symptoms that Alzheimer's patient show other than memory loss are:

• Change in personality
• Frequent changes in the mood
• Difficulty in solving a problem
• Difficulty in completing a task
• Sudden withdrawal from family and friends
• Verbal and written communication issues

Tips to Take Care of an Alzheimer’s Patient

Here are some of the useful tips that can help you while you are looking after your parents or a family member suffering from the Alzheimer’s disease.  And why it is essential to buy a health insurance policy to cover this critical illness:

• Schedule a Proper Routine: Alzheimer's patients would need someone to take proper care of them. If you are taking care of someone then firstly you should create a daily routine for them. This will involve regular medical appointments in case they showcase some symptoms. This will help the doctor in examining the patient clearly in case a family member is present.
• Avoid Distractions: Alzheimer’s patients can get easily distracted. An easy way to reduce distractions for them is to switch off the TV, phone, or music while talking to them, as it becomes easier for them to focus. Moreover, make sure that you provide simple instructions to them that are easy to follow.
• Create a Protected environment: If someone in your family suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, then it might be important for you to create a protected environment for them. You might want to keep all the electronics away from their reach and make your home a safe place for them to be. And not only electronic items you might want to put extension cord, rugs, extension cords, and other items that can make them fall.
• Be Flexible and Patient: It takes a lot of adjustment while taking care of an Alzheimer’s patient. And to overcome any frustration, what you can do is follow a fixed routine and be cooperative. The two most important qualities required at this time are patience and flexibility with a person suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
• Be Understanding: Alzheimer’s patients tend to forget things and have behavioral issues as their mood swings quite often. The trick to deal with them is to be calm and compassionate.

How is Health Insurance Helpful for People with Alzheimer’s Disease?

It can be expensive to treat Alzheimer’s disease, and for this reason, it is needed to have the medical expenses covered under a critical illness health insurance policy. You can look for some of the most comprehensive health insurance plans covering Alzheimer’s disease online.

All your savings can get drained while treating a critical illness and may restrict you from earning and working and your whole lifestyle can take a setback. Therefore, it makes sense to buy a lump sum benefit policy that helps you meet the financial pressure during such tough times.

Your existing health plan or your employee health insurance policy will only pay for medical expenses up to a certain extent. However, a critical illness cover policy will pay you in a lump sum once as soon as the disease is diagnosed.

A critical illness policy covering Alzheimer’s disease is not a conventional indemnity based health plan. In this policy, the insurer pays the sum insured in lump sum amount upon diagnosis of the specified Critical Illness policies.

If the doctor recommends a certain line of medical treatment, you can utilize the sum insured amount to pay for care, treatment, and recovery. The money can also be utilized for paying off debts, cover the loss of income, and in some cases, it can be used to adapt to the lifestyle changes.

Bottom-line

In India, the number of cases of Alzheimer's disease is increasing with each passing day. And to overcome the financial and emotional burden that arises with this illness, it is advisable to opt for a critical illness Alzheimer’s insurance policy. With medical insurance in hand, you can file claims as soon as there is a hospitalization. The policies are also designed to cover alternative treatments, domiciliary or home treatment costs, and not to forget annual-health check-up facilities. So, go ahead and buy a health insurance plan with Alzheimer’s insurance cover. And save your loved ones with the best treatment and also save taxes u/s 80D.