Spending Mistakes as an early indicator of dementia

harshedbuzz

This may be behind a paywall for some.

How Spending Mistakes Can Be Early Signs of Alzheimer's - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

ADH77

The potential for financial matters to go awry can be one of the most challenging logistical things to deal with when an LO has dementia. Good reminder that we all should establish a  financial POA with someone we trust, since there are a number of reasons (not just dementia) for which it can be extremely useful.

Unfortunately, the online world provides so many opportunities for careless spending, as well as scams that PWD is more susceptible to. My mother, who has dementia, got scammed just before she got diagnosed with dementia. It was one of those early warning signs (one of many).

May flowers

Interesting article, thanks for sharing it. Inability to manage finances and weird expenditures was one of the first things we noticed with my FIL. He also misplaced things then fussed at my MIL that she had moved them. This was a year or so before his dx which didn’t come until 2015.

I have become kind of nervous about my husband too, he has been putting paperwork in odd places, and becoming very forgetful (he’s 53). I’ve been asking him to see a neurologist at least to get a baseline. Both of his grandfather’s had dementia - Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and his dad has vascular. I don’t want to miss any early signs...

sandwichone123

Thank you! I've decided that most of our LO with dementia need financial supervision way earlier than we have it on our radar, and that as things go awry financially our LO are more embarrassed and want to hide it more, rather than seeking help.

M1

Amen to this.  One of the very first things my partner had trouble with was bank accounts, when we were trying to help a niece and great nephew get Obamacare coverage (we paid for it).  She couldn't get it straight--that's when I told her sisters she was having trouble, and they were in complete denial.  The very first thing, though, was when this professional contractor couldn't figure out how to turn on the shower in a hotel.....she who knew every plumbing fixture known to man couldn 't do it.  I knew we were in for it then.

Suzy23

Sadly, this story hits all too close to home for me also.

In his early to mid 70s my dad, who had previously never had a scratch on a car or a speeding ticket in his lifetime, got into a bad car accident. He and the other driver were OK, but both cars badly damaged. Two days later, his car was in the shop, we were waiting to hear how much insurance would pay for repairs, but without a word about it to anyone, he went to the dealership and bought a fully loaded car on impulse and charged the full amount. This is a man who previously would have studied Consumer Reports and the Kelly Blue Book for six months before replacing a 20-year-old car. 

Likewise, he had been the most disciplined saver and manager of his retirement and savings investments for 50+ years, when he suddenly around the same time started buying random stocks based on whim or because he thought the company name was funny.  When I asked him about it at the time, he said, "What difference does it make?"

All the while, my mom kept grasping at straws for explanations and she was in denial that it could be dementia. He was finally diagnosed just this past January. Luckily, a year before, I had secured DPOA. 

Then during the period of 6 - 12 months ago, he made some even worse financial blunders that I discovered in November.  Not catastrophic, thank goodness, but pretty bad, causing a huge tax hit. 

A few months ago, I finally convinced my mom to put her foot down about no more driving. It was awful with fights and scenes, but thank goodness.

More recently, I have gotten him declared incapacitated and unable to transact on his accounts like everyone on this board was advising me to do for a year plus. I wish I had done it a year ago. He doesn't like it one bit and is very resentful. It has been really hard on my mom too.  But as I kept telling her, how many more horses are going to leave before we lock the barn door?

She was just telling me today she now sees signs of his dementia going back years.  And I agree. It's really sad.