Early Warning Signs of Dementia: Financial Troubles

Senior woman watering flowers in her apartment.

Key Takeaways:

  • Early warning signs of dementia can appear in the form of financial difficulties up to six years before diagnosis
  • Monitoring the financial health of your elderly family members could reduce the risk of irreversible financial events

A study by NIH's National Institute on Aging found that financial difficulties, such as missed payments and declining credit scores, can be early indicators of dementia. Warning signs appeared up to six years before diagnosis.

Johns Hopkins University researchers linked medical and credit records of over 80,000 older adults, revealing those who developed dementia had higher rates of financial issues compared to those who didn't. These findings underscore the need for early detection and intervention to protect elderly family members from financial harm.

Further, the study highlighted that lower education levels in communities exacerbated the financial struggles associated with cognitive decline, suggesting that socioeconomic factors play a role in the early financial symptoms of dementia.

Early identification of these signs can help safeguard the financial wellbeing of patients and their families. The research emphasizes the importance of monitoring financial health as a part of routine screenings for dementia.

For more information, you can read the full study here.

Categories: Uncategorized