Researchers of dementia and cognitive impairment warn that many individuals can still recall common facts, such as the date or who the president is, in the early stages of impairment. However, losing ability to do simply math and understanding finances can come earlier in the development of diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Detecting declining ability to handle finances early can help protect older individuals from exploitation.
See Tara Siegel Bernard, As Cognition Slips, Financial Skills Are Often the First to Go, New York Times, Apr. 24, 2015.
Special thanks to Joel Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.
