World Alzheimer’s Day: The Importance of Health Insurance for Alzheimer’s Care

What is Alzheimer’s Disease? What is its History?

As discussed, Alzheimer's is a disease that causes the shrinking of the brain, which ultimately kills the brain cells. Alzheimer's disease is known to cause dementia in most cases, which is a disease that causes a decrease in memory and a decline in the thinking power of patients. It impairs the ability of people to perform any work independently.

The first discovery of Alzheimer’s as a disease was made by German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer and the disease was named after him. He diagnosed a 50-year-old woman to be the first Alzheimer’s patient in 1901. Alzheimer’s is a common form of dementia and is regarded as the root cause of most dementia cases globally.

On World Alzheimer’s Day, the focus is given to generating Alzheimer’s awareness and finding ways of fighting the disease and its effects. Alzheimer’s causes the death of a large number of people every year and the fact that the disease has no cure to stop it or prevent it from growing is another major cause to worry.

Alzheimer’s Day: How the Day was Introduced and How to Observe

World Alzheimer’s Day was introduced by an organization called Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI). ADI was founded in 1984 to support people suffering from the disease. On its 10th anniversary, ADI introduced World Alzheimer’s Day in Edinburgh on September 21. The organization coordinates the day worldwide together to raise awareness through various events.

The best way to observe World Alzheimer’s Day is to create awareness about the disease using word of mouth, social media, and other ways to help people whose family members are suffering from this disease. You may also donate to NGOs who are working with such patients to support them financially.

Importance of Health Insurance for Alzheimer’s Care

Although no specific cure is available for treating Alzheimer's disease, efforts can be made to enhance the lives of patients suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia. The best possible way to make life better for such patients is to take care of them adequately by caregivers who are professionally trained.

Alzheimer’s progresses gradually and affects the patient and the entire family both in terms of finances and emotionally. Hence, availing of a critical insurance plan that covers Alzheimer’s and most of the medical expenses related to the disease is important.

Critical insurance policies provide one single lump sum amount to the patient and the family once the disease is diagnosed. This money can be used for paying debts, substituting lost income, and sailing through tough times.

In addition, if you buy a regular health insurance policy, you still can get insurance coverage for Alzheimer's to cover some basic costs like medication, therapy, and diagnosis. However, the coverage might vary from policy to policy.

Below are some coverages that many health insurance policies offer to help with the expenses of Alzheimer’s treatment:

• Diagnosis of disease - Health insurance policies generally cover the costs of diagnosing Alzheimer’s, including laboratory tests, consultations, and cognitive testing.
• Medicine coverage – Depending on the health insurance plans, it may cover the cost of some medications prescribed for Alzheimer’s disease to manage symptoms and slow the progression of the disease.
• Hospitalization and in-patient care - If the Alzheimer’s patient requires inpatient hospitalization, some health insurance policies cover a portion of the expenses incurred by the policyholder. This may include hospitalization for medical complications caused due to Alzheimer’s.
• Home health care (Domiciliary) - Some health insurance policies provide domiciliary coverage or home health care coverage. In such coverage, skilled nursing care and therapy are also included which might help individuals with Alzheimer’s disease.
• Cognitive therapy – Many health policies might extend coverage to cognitive therapies to manage symptoms and improve the quality of life for Alzheimer’s patients.
• Caregiver support – Caregiver support is pivotal in such brain diseases as these patients require 24-hour attention and care. Some insurance policies may include services like counseling or respite care.
• Preventive services – Depending on the health insurance plans, it may offer preventive health coverage and screenings to detect Alzheimer’s disease. This is especially effective if there is a family history of Alzheimer’s and other risks