THE QUESTION OF
MEDICAL AID COVER
FOR DEMENTIA
As population dynamics change,
diagnostic techniques improve and
public awareness grows, the number
of dementia cases being reported –
and treated – is increasing.
Given the high cost of dementia care, we wondered if dementia sometimes don’t realise there’s a problem because dementia
patients are receiving adequate cover from their medical aid people can appear perfectly lucid for a short while. Or they
schemes. will remember something clearly from 50 years ago, but they
won’t remember they’ve just had lunch. Or the kids didn’t have
a clue because Mum covered up for Dad, and they only found
out when Mum passed away. Sometimes the neighbours pick
up there’s a problem because they’re not locking the doors, or
they’re walking around in their nightie.’
Some diseases, like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, trauma to the head,
and strokes, can be clear causes of progressive dementia. Others,
such as Addison’s, heart problems, uncontrolled diabetes, and
hypothyroidism, can lead to dementia in some people. Then
there are others, such as depression, lupus and epilepsy, that
are associated with a markedly higher risk of dementia, but the
causal relationship is unclear. Finally, there are some that may
cause dementia-like symptoms, such as some infections and
substance abuse, including alcoholism.
Dementia can affect people of all degrees of health and wealth.
Livewell Somerset West
It is thought of as a condition of the elderly because it mainly
affects people over the age of 65, but a small number of younger
people are also affected.
Dementia is a condition rather than a disease, and presents as
a group of symptoms that affect thinking and socialising. This
includes memory loss, disorientation, confusion, difficulty
with problem solving, difficulty reasoning, and difficulty with
coordination. Psychological changes include anxiety, depression,
personality changes, hallucination, and paranoia. Each of these
symptoms presents with different intensity in different people
at different stages of the condition, and some may not appear
Dementia patients need special care
Robson manages the Western Cape office of Alzheimer’s South
Africa, which has offices in each province, and provides support
for families dealing with dementia. She says that diagnosis helps
families understand how to treat dementia patients: ‘It makes
life easier if the family knows why they don’t know where the
toilet is now, or they think they haven’t eaten in two days.’
at all. Because of the complexity of the condition, diagnosis can Dementia gets progressively worse so, after diagnosis, she says,
be tricky, and can take years in some cases, and a definitive the family must carefully plan a progressive treatment regime.
diagnosis can be done only by a psychiatrist and/or neurologist. ‘The end of that process,’ Robson adds, ‘is full-time care.’
Jill Robson of Alzheimer’s South Africa explains: ‘People with Dementia patients have different needs from frail care patients,
dementia don’t always know they’ve got dementia; they’re not and can also create some discomfort for other patients. They
walking around thinking: “Oh I’ve got dementia, that’s why I’m therefore need dedicated dementia healthcare. Full-time care is
not remembering what day of the week it is.” Family members costly, with one upmarket facility, for example, charging
40 | www.estate-living.co.za