Alzheimer's Disease is a progressive brain dysfunction that affects an about 6 million Americans, mostly over the age of 65. As the US population ages along with the Baby Boomers, the number of people with Alzheimer's Disease is expected to rise quickly. Alzheimer's patients slowly lose their cognitive abilities including memory, language, and motor skills, and often become confused easily.  Some Alzheimer's patients will suffer dramatic personality changes, and even lose their ability to take care of themselves.  At this point, they begin to need long term care.  10 years is the average length of time a person is expected to live after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, and those years are almost always difficult for the person and their family.

The cost of caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease is severe

Most Alzheimer's sufferers initially live in their own home or are cared for by family and friends at their home.  The main challenge is that family caregivers can become emotionally, physically, and financially drained after providing continuous care and supervision for a person with Alzheimer's disease. It's often, unfortunately, much like caring for a small child.  Alzheimer's Disease will cause the patient to be agitated, physically aggressive, delusional, withdrawn from family and friends, engage in disturbing behaviors, and become disoriented, often found roaming their neighborhood.  At this point families will typically consider nursing homes or assisted living facilities for their loved one.

Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia are the leading causes for needing long term care.  People with Alzheimer's eventually require constant long-term care services, at home, or in a nursing or assisted living facility.

With the uncertainty of cognitive diseases, long term care insurance makes sense for most people simply because it will prevent you from being a burden to your family and assure you are properly taken care of.

Protection with long term care insurance

Long term care insurance provides families with the choice to give their loved ones the proper care that is required in Alzheimer's situations. All long term care insurance policies will cover Alzheimer's disease and organic brain syndromes. However, some polices will not cover in-organic brain syndromes such as psychological disorders like depression.  Long term care insurance must be purchased before the problem arises, because the insurance company will deny your application if you do not meet their underwriting requirements.  A good way to think of this is to compare it to auto insurance- no auto insurance company would insure your car for an accident that had already happened.  If the insured has Alzheimer's disease at the time of application, request for long term care insurance coverage will be denied.

In Alzheimer's situations the physical, emotional, and financial stress of taking care of a loved one is extremely stressful for the family.  Adult children can learn from their parents and protect their own financial security by purchasing long term care insurance for their parents, if it's not too late, or for themselves.