Dementia including Alzheimer's disease
Here you'll find our current definition of the critical illness, additional condition or child specific condition we cover. We've also listed any previous definitions we may have had. With each new definition we've highlighted what's changed from the previous definition.
Current definition
March 2020
Dementia including Alzheimer's disease
A definite diagnosis of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, by a consultant neurologist, psychiatrist or geriatrician. There must be permanent clinical loss of the ability to do all of the following:
- remember;
- reason; and
- perceive, understand, express and give effect to ideas.
Change from the previous definition
Merged with Alzheimer's disease.
Previous definitions
November 2015
Dementia – resulting in permanent symptoms
A definite diagnosis of dementia by a consultant neurologist, psychiatrist or geriatrician. There must be permanent clinical loss of the ability to do all of the following:
- remember;
- reason; and
- perceive, understand, express and give effect to ideas.