As per the reports and studies of the Alzheimer’s Organisation of India, this ailment has been frequently diagnosed among people below 65, proving that it is not merely a disease of ageing. In our country, nearly 4 million people are suffering from some kind of dementia, causing it an issue of major concern. On a global scale, as per the WHO reports of 2020, Alzheimer’s death has touched 1.26 lakhs, counting to around 1.5% of the total Dementia deaths on the global scale. Although there are limited ways to get yourself protected against this ailment, you can enjoy a protected treatment with health insurance.
Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a very common form of dementia, leading to gradual memory loss in the patient. This ailment gradually affects the patient’s overall behaviour, memory, and thought process. Things can take a very bitter turn quite drastically, making the lives of the affected all the more difficult quite suddenly. Moreover, situations may worsen if the patient is not well cared for. The current statistics reveal that nearly 90% of such patients never receive a punctual diagnosis very late.
Common Symptoms of Alzheimer’s
Some of the common symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are:
- Gradual memory loss
- Increasing difficulties in performing routine tasks
- Facing issues with problem-solving
- Difficulty in comprehending visual materials like videos and pictures
- Communication problems, both written and verbal
- Frequently losing possession of objects and inability to find them
- Facing issues while making any judgement
- Unwillingness to socialise and estrangement from the family members
- Personality changes and mood swings
Diagnosing the Problem
Sharing certain behavioural issues with the routine doctor is one of the most plausible ways for determining the stage of Alzheimer’s after its onset. Any family member can help at this stage. Apart from that, the doctors advise undergoing certain tests like brain imaging, neuropsychological testing, and certain lab tests, to determine the severity of the disease. It helps in revealing the thinking capacity and memory of the concerned patient.
Caring Tips After Diagnosis
In the case of Alzheimer’s, proper medical treatment is not enough; the constant care and support of all the people living around the patient are also equally important. The family members can ensure a comforting situation for the patient by following these simple steps:
- Effectively controlling erratic behaviour and agitation. You must always encourage sports, exercise, and other games for regular physical activity.
- Reducing confusion and any unnecessary sound from the surroundings of the patient by turning off the TV, closing all the curtains as per requirement, and maintaining a calm and relaxed environment, especially when the concerned person is angry.
- If situations go worse, the patient develops a dangerous propensity to wander. Always ensure that he/she wears a proper ID bracelet with an actively functioning GPS chip.
- Limit the daily intake of sugar, caffeine, and other junk foods.
- Always converse with the patient using a soothing and relaxing tone, using simple, basic language.
- Such patients refuse to understand the reason. Never argue with them, which will make them all the more agitated and worsen the situation. Make your love felt by the patient.
- Always retain your sense of humour while interacting with these patients and never lose your cool.
- A potentially risky turn of events can turn into favour by adding a pleasant stimulus to it. Try to cheer up the concerned patient by bringing in the things that he/she likes.
Entry of Health Insurance
Since Alzheimer’s is a debilitating, chronic, and gradually worsening ailment, it imbibes a considerable emotional and financial burden for both the patient and the family members. Situations will deteriorate if the family becomes more concerned with financial management than ensuring care and concern for the patient. It does more harm than good if your focus and attention shift from the patient under such circumstances. Therefore, the wisest decision is to buy health insurance that offers coverage for Alzheimer’s.
Impact of Health Insurance on Alzheimer’s
Health insurance can effectively reduce your financial burden, thus favourably affecting your peace of mind and retaining your cool. There are quite exclusive benefits that health insurance with Alzheimer’s coverage can offer:
- Offers Financial Assistance: Several general and Alzheimer’s-specific health insurance plans include coverage for the advanced form of the ailment. You might be eligible to receive a single-time payment from the concerned insurance company for Alzheimer’s care. Therefore, unprecedented medical costs can’t sway you. Moreover, with this single-time payment, you can even settle your doubts, if incurred.
- Savings Protection: Any unexpected diagnosis of any ailment can rip you off, especially when it comes to ailments like Alzheimer’s. The treatment costs are highly expensive. Therefore, it is best to remain well-prepared beforehand and make foolproof planning ahead. This is effectively possible with health insurance, which ensures to retain and protect your savings.
- Ensuring Insurance Coverage under Both Regular and Critical Illness Plans: You can get protection for Alzheimer’s under both regular and critical illness plans. The difference will be that a regular plan will be an indemnity policy, while a critical illness plan will be a fixed benefit plan. Any indemnity plan ensures reimbursement of the hospitalisation expenses up to the insured sum limit; while any fixed benefit plan will offer a fixed lump sum on the diagnosis of any critical illness, depending on the policy plan. The terms of the chosen plan will clarify the details regarding the waiting period and survival period.
Conclusion
Health insurance investment is one of the wisest decisions to protect your hard-earned money. Nowadays, you can easily compare health insurance and buy them, suiting your needs.
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