Being diagnosed with dementia can be a frightening and upsetting time. You’re not alone though, right now there are about 850,000 people with dementia in the UK. This means there’s plenty of support available for you and your loved ones.
If you have dementia, you might be thinking about getting your affairs in order and putting a plan in place to help protect your loved ones down the line. Life insurance is a simple way of helping your loved ones financially when you're gone, and it could offer you some much-needed peace of mind during this time. We’ve put together this guide to help you find out everything you need to know about securing life insurance if you have dementia.
Can I get life insurance if I have dementia?
British Seniors Over 50 Life Insurance offers guaranteed acceptance, with no medicals or blood tests needed. So as long as you are fully aware of your decision to buy life insurance, aged between 50 and 80 and a UK resident, your application will be accepted.
What is dementia?
Dementia is an umbrella term for a range of progressive conditions that affect the brain. Some of the most common types are Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, and mixed dementia.
Typically dementia mostly affects those over the age of 65 and currently, there are about 850,000 Brits living with dementia. You can be diagnosed with dementia below the age of 65, known as young onset dementia, and this affects 42,000 people across the UK. As your age increases, so does your risk of developing dementia.
Having good health is something that we often take for granted, but as we age we’re more likely to develop health issues such as dementia. It’s important to think about how poor health could impact your future, and how you can best prepare for it.
How could dementia affect my lifestyle?
Dementia can cause a few issues in your life, some of the most common being memory loss and cognitive difficulty. Things that once seemed obvious to you might not make sense anymore. You could struggle to remember things that you think are obvious, like whether you took your medication or if you have already completed a task you had been meaning to do.
It can be a frightening change so it’s important to communicate honestly and openly with your loved ones to make sure you, and your family, are getting the right care.
How can I help to protect my loved ones?
When you are first diagnosed with dementia it’s a good time to think about your future and what you want for your family. As a progressive disease, your dementia could worsen over time so it’s best to make a clear plan for the future sooner rather than later.
If you don’t have a Will already this could be a good time to write one. While you may have already discussed your plans with your family, until it’s written down and signed with your signature, there’s no guarantee that your wishes will be followed.
Another important step in helping to protect your loved ones is to take out a life insurance policy. Life insurance is a simple way to help to safeguard your family’s future. Whether you want to make sure that there’s something there to help with your funeral expenses, or you want to leave a lump sum as a gift, Over 50 Life Insurance could give you peace of mind knowing that you’ve taken steps to prepare for the future.
What supports are there for people suffering from dementia?
Being diagnosed with dementia can be an upsetting and worrying time, but it’s not something you have to face alone. There are fantastic resources across the UK that can help you to continue living your life as normally as possible.
Some websites that can help you to understand different symptoms, what to expect in the future, and how to find help are:
- The NHS
- Dementia UK
- Alzheimer’s Society
- Age UK
Putting a plan in place
Being diagnosed with dementia can be a frightening experience for you and your loved ones. That’s why we want to help you find some peace of mind during an uncertain time. With British Seniors, as long as you are aged 50-80 and a UK resident, you can help to protect your loved ones with guaranteed Over 50 Life Insurance. So you can feel confident that we’ll look after you and your family’s future and you can go back to enjoying your life with one less thing to worry about.